My life-line
by dorina16able
Summary: Newt hated this place; every second of every day in the Glade. After Thomas's arrival, though, one change follows the other; but two girls at the same time? 'Maybe it's time for things to change, Newt' Eve said determined. She becomes his friend…his guardian angel…his everything.
1. Female Greenies?

**A/N: Heyy there :) I watched the Maze Runner a few days ago and I LOVED it. I loved the movie and I loved Newt, he's my favorite one, sooo...here's a story about him (and I have been spoilered already about what will happen to him in the third book, grrrr). The story is basically movie-verse, with some dialogues from the book; for instance, when Newt warns the Gladers to leave the girls alone...in the book, it was Alby who said that, but, since he's going through the Changing in the movie, I made Newts saying it instead (the all-protective leader, hehe). Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner, only my OC**

All she could feel was terror and she had the impression she would throw up at any second. It was as if someone had drugged her and she couldn't remember anything; not how she ended up in this secluded, box-like thing, not where she came from, not even her own parents. Her whole body trembled in shock and, right now, she would rather faint than go through this hell.

Something black right next to her arm caught her attention and she turned her head with much effort. With a gasp, she saw that it was another girl with long, black hair; again, not someone she recognized. The other girl was unconscious, the lucky one; she didn't have this odd sensation that something was definitely wrong, combined with the box moving upstairs.

Upstairs towards _what_?

The lift sped up and this was the drop that overflowed the glass. Her breath became uneven and she closed her eyes tightly, the darkness surrounding her. Even though, she could not hold back the tears that ran down her cheeks like waterfalls.

Wait a minute…she still had in her mind what a waterfall was, but she couldn't remember her own _life_? But no, as much as she searched through her mind, she could clearly picture animals, cities, objects, but when it came to her memories about her past, everything was blank. As if something or someone had wiped them away.

But who and why?

The dread of this thought worsened her situation and she curled up in a fetal position to protect herself. The confusion won over and, following the other girl's example, every connection with the world was lost.

* * *

The Gladers were gathered to discuss Thomas's case, who had returned with Minho and a stung Alby after a whole night in the maze. Newt frowned as Gally spoke against the newbie, saying that going into the maze despite the rules and killing a Griever for the first time in three years would have very serious consequences for them. Newt considered Thomas his friend and shared his wish to explore the maze and discover a way out, but he knew very well that he had to act wisely. Being second-in-command, he was in charge now that Alby was suffering the Changing, so he had to take everything into account before coming up with a decision. It was as if he had grown up suddenly.

'Minho' he addressed the Keeper of the Runners and everyone fell silent. 'You were there with him. What do you think?'

The boy didn't answer at once, thinking for a few moments. Everyone was watching him, some with curiosity, and Thomas felt something that reminded him of fear gripping him. Everything depended now on Minho and how he had interpreted his actions; running in the maze while being a non-runner, killing one of the creatures that had killed many of them and coming out of the maze alive.

'I think, in all the time we've been here, no one's ever killed a Griever before' Minho finally said. 'When I turned tail and ran, this dumb shank stayed behind to help Alby. Look, I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it' he concluded. 'I say we make him a Runner'

An explosion followed his words, the Gladers speaking all at once, others agreeing, others not, and Newt smiling widely at the Keeper's suggestion.

'A Runner? What?' Gally exclaimed in frustration, not expecting that and not believing that the "Greenie" would become a Runner that easily.

'Minho, let's not jump the gun here' Frypan tried to calm the spirits, but his voice was barely heard in the chaos.

'Thomas! Thomas! Thomas!' Chuck, on the other hand, cheered loudly, but when he saw that no one followed suit, he stopped.

'If you want to throw the newbie a parade, that's fine!' Gally spoke angrily and stepped in the middle of the gathering to be heard better. 'Go ahead. But if there is one thing that I know about the maze, it is that you do not—'

An all-too-familiar sound from outside made everyone freeze and even Gally lost his previous energy. It was as if something heavy was coming up to the Glade and, at the same time, a faint alarm ringed. All of them forgot yesterday's events at once as they rushed out of the hut and crossed the field.

'Okay, wait, I know that sound' Thomas stated as he stood next to Chuck and Minho.

'The Box' the young boy with the curly hair reminded him, but he didn't have his usual cheerful expression, on the other hand, he seemed worried and even scared. 'It's coming back up'

'It shouldn't be' Minho hissed and the three friends approached the large area where the Box arrived.

Indeed, the wheel was moving around and the metal doors opened, revealing the closed door of the Box that came once in a month with supplies and a newcomer. That was the case for three years, a regular program and they were used to it. Until now. Newt and Gally, who reached it first, jumped and opened the door, while trying to remain calm. A lot of things had changed and they had to confront it with composure if they wanted to find a solution. Newt jumped inside, the others waiting impatiently, since they could not see what the Box held. Newt's brown eyes, though, widened in confusion as he stared at the Creators' new "gift".

'Holy…' he breathed, eyebrows narrowed.

'Newt, what do you see?'

'Do you see it?'

The Gladers' questions brought him out of his trance and, slowly, he stood upright again, glancing at no one in particular. Indeed, a lot of things had changed, but this was the last thing he expected.

'It's two girls' he explained.

A chorus of questions and exclamations echoed through the Glade as some bent down in an attempt to get a better look at the newcomers, some only looked in shock and some were simply wondering what the shuck was going on here.

'No way!'

'Two Greenies?'

'Two _girls_?'

'_Two _girls?'

'How do they look like?'

'How old are they?'

Newt ignored them and stared back at the two female teenagers. The one seemed to be about seventeen, with thick, black hair that fell on her back and the other was around his age, with dark brown, shoulder-length hair. None had their consciousness as they lay down on the floor of the Box, completely shut out of the world.

'That's not bloody half of it' he whispered. 'I think they're dead'

Their bodies were curled, as if they were cold or afraid of something, and Newt tried to jump to a conclusion, but without success.

'What's in her hand?' Gally suddenly asked, pointing at the black-haired girl.

With the rest of the boys watching intently, Newt carefully took a wrapped note the girl in question clutched in her right hand. He stared at them again, as if expecting some kind of movement, but they remained as they were, undisturbed. Newt frowned as he unfolded the piece of paper. Did they know each other? Did they _remember_?

'"They are the last ones…ever"' he read aloud and stared up at the boys, whose concerned expressions mirrored his. 'What the hell does that mean?'

A loud gasp startled him and he saw that the girl with the black hair had woken up, taking deep breaths, as if she was suffocating, and her eyes had widened as she looked up at the boys, until they focused on a single person. She uttered only one word, but this word was the most frightening bit of everything that had happened.

'Thomas…'

She fell back unconscious, without saying anything else or paying attention to anyone. The Gladers looked at Thomas, silent, but clearly demanding explanations, although Thomas could not give them. He had arrived at the Glade just like the others, with all his memories wiped, how could he explain to them something he didn't understand too? It was true, in those weird dreams he had, the girl had appeared, but he couldn't make any sense of it, while the brunette one was a complete stranger to him.

'Do you still think I'm overreacting?' Gally asked determined, almost triumphantly, and he would have continued if it hadn't been for the new leader of the Gladers.

'Shut your hole, Gally!' Newt snapped at him. 'We can worry about everything later, but first we will look after them. Someone go and get some ropes!'

With the help of ropes made from ivy vines, Newt and Thomas managed to pull the two teenagers out of the elevator and on the cold stone around the Box. The next moment, Clint and Jeff, the two Med-jacks, rushed to their side, each kneeling beside a girl and feeling their pulse and vital signs, with the rest watching with something Thomas could swear was a curious fascination.

'So, what do we do with them?' Jeff asked while pulling the brunette's hair behind her ear to check for a pulse.

'How should I know?' Newt replied. 'You two are the Med-jacks—figure it out!'

'Who said Clint and Jeff had first shot at them?' a Glader asked from the distance and many laughed loudly. 'I'm the next!'

_Are you bloody joking? _Newt wondered as he anxiously awaited the meds to finish their job. _That's all they can think about? The girls are half-dead! _He had to fight against the impulse to teach a lesson to these shanks, but, instead, he chose other means and shot them a death glare.

'If anybody touches these girls, you're gonna spend the night sleepin' with the Grievers in the maze. Banished, no questions!' he made clear, mustering his strictest voice that made even Gally flinch; they knew better than question him. Newt, already respected due to his position as second-in-command, had a strength and a determination that it was not wise to underestimate; he was more than capable to fulfill his threat. 'Ain't nobody better touch them! Nobody!'

'Both seem fine' Clint interfered, returning the attention to the actual problem. 'Breathing okay, normal heartbeat. Though it's a bit slow. Your guess is as good as mine, but I'd say they are in a coma. Jeff, let's take them to the Homestead'

* * *

There it was again, this numbing darkness.

Blurred silhouettes, distant voices she couldn't recognize…

Everything was so confusing, she just wanted to give up.

She had no idea who she was or where she was.

She was feeling nothing, only emptiness.

Again, she thought she saw someone, like a shade…see his profile through the endless black that surrounded her, but everything else was unclear.

"She will be the last one" she thought she heard a woman saying, but, again, this could only be a dream, because the next second both the shade and the voice faded into nothing, leaving a single letter in her fogged mind.

_E._

E?

E for what?

* * *

Two hours later, Minho, Newt and Thomas made their way to the Homestead. Apparently, the girls' situation had not improved yet and they wanted a full picture from the Med-jacks, wondering if it was normal to still be in coma. Approaching the girls' beds, they threw a sad glare towards Alby, who was spinning around and gritting his teeth, going through the painful Changing after being stung by a Griever.

'Jeff, what's going on?' the blond boy wanted to know. 'What's the matter with them? Why won't they wake up?'

'Hey, man, I got my job the same way you did' the dark-skinned Med told him, assuring them that they had done everything they could and now they just had to wait.

The black-haired girl was still curled up, her hand balled into a tight fist; the other one, though, was lying on her back, arms by her sides; looking peaceful and vulnerable. Newt's brown eyes stayed on her; she was so calm, unlike the other one, as if she had come to terms with whatever she had faced…or as if she was fighting her inner battles and tried to hide them from the world outside her mind.

Thomas, on the other hand, was focused on the girl who had recognized him; she was a big mystery to him, like everything concerning his past. Why she appeared in his dreams, telling him that everything was gonna change, was beyond him.

'Do you recognize her?' Newt's voice brought him back to reality and he realized that this had given most Gladers another reason to consider him responsible for everything.

'No' he shook his head.

'Really?' Newt insisted. 'Because she seemed to recognize _you_? What about the other? Does _she _remind you of anything?'

'No, Newt, I don't remember them. And…What about the note?' Thomas added, reminding them all that the Creators had brought three surprises at once; more newcomers at the same month, and newcomers who happened to be girls, with a note that was anything but comforting. But, right now, Newt couldn't deal with this either, it was too much for him.

'We'll worry about the note later' he decided.

'I think you should worry about it now'

'We've got enough to deal with at the moment' Newt said aloud what he had been thinking earlier; did no one get that they couldn't face a hundred problems at once?

'He's right, Newt' Jeff agreed with Thomas. 'If the Box isn't coming back up, how long do you think we can last?'

'No one said that' Newt answered, trying to convince both Jeff and himself that the meaning behind the note was something else and not that the Creators would stop sending them supplies. 'Let's not jump to any conclusions. We'll just wait until they wake up and see what they know. Somebody has gotta have some answers around here'

Those answers…Three years he hoped for them; for a way out of this place and for answers about who and why put them there with no memories but their names. Three years watching the Runners go into the maze every morning and returning at sunset, expecting _something_, and every day passing by without a single step forward to find a way to escape. Three years of uneasiness and anxiety, although he was trying to conceal it, but it was there, eating him; the wish to leave that became stronger and stronger.

Maybe these girls had the answers.

But, whether they did or not, they were now part of the Glade and he would make sure that they would be treated as such.

'Okay' Thomas whispered and turned abruptly to leave.

'Where are you going?'

'Back into the maze'

_You were wondering whether he's brave or stupid, Minho? Guess what: your question has just been answered!_

The Keeper of the Runners rolled his eyes and ran after him, while Newt turned towards the girls again, the usual frown on his face.

'Hey, Newt, you don't have to stay here, mate; we're tending to them' Clint said.

'That's fine; I don't think that they will be very calm when they wake up…They need to be prepared'

* * *

The internal pain was killing her.

No physical pain, her body was still numb. The emotional pain, though, was torturing her. It was as if she was drowning in this threatening black, as the confusion and shock didn't have the intention to leave her. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't, as if someone was forcing her to keep them close. She took deep and quick breaths again, moved around, wanting to be freed from this torment.

And then it happened.

The miracle.

She could sense something gentle that brought a small light in the darkness and made her feel less trapped, more relaxed. A gentle touch by someone—she didn't know and she didn't care.

'It's okay' she heard a voice again, calm and friendly, like a song. 'Everything's okay…you're safe. Breathe'

And breathing she did, obeying the voice this time. Weird, despite not seeing or remembering the owner, it still managed to ease the pain and the confusion and leave only warmth behind it.

'No one's gonna hurt you…'

There was something else now, besides the light…the letter…no, wait, not letter, it _letters!_

_E…_

_V…_

_E…_

_E. V. E?_

_Eve?_

The realization hit her and finally, finally, she felt warmth and a huge relief as the memory—the first one—appeared and started clearing things.

Those letters…constructed her name.

'Shh… You are fine' the voice spoke again.

And another miracle happened, because the voice helped her find the strength to open her eyes, although with great effort. Through heavy eyelids, she saw a pair of warm, dark brown eyes that stared softly at her, short, blond hair and a comforting smile. No bad after this terrible battle, right? A calming wave overwhelmed her and she closed her eyes again, but not completely, to hold the comforting sight in front of her.

'Eve…' she whispered and stirred to be more comfortable. 'I…am…Eve'

For a moment, she could bet she heard a chuckle, but maybe it was due to the games her mind had been playing with her until now.

'Okay. Now go back to sleep. Everything will be sorted out once you get some rest…It's gonna be okay'

Being only too happy to do as she was told, she shut herself from the world for one more time. This time, though, her sleep was much calmer and the darkness embraced her like an old friend.

* * *

Seeing the brunette girl succumbing to sleep, Newt left out a relieved breath, his hand still on her shoulder. He almost freaked out himself when he saw her spinning around, trying to catch her breath, but then he regained his nerves and did his best to calm her down; with success, as he realized.

When she opened her eyes and looked at him, he caught a glimpse of a beautiful, green-brown color that was captivating, as her gaze was filled with gratitude. She was like a child, so innocent, and, although nothing was truly okay, Newt decided to leave her in peace until she would have her strength. After all, the other Gladers wouldn't exactly make her life easy here.

And she finally had a name, which still rang in his ears.

'I don't know why they sent you here, Eve, but we will find a way through this'

* * *

_"__Thomas"_

This voice in his head made Thomas jump in surprise. He was in the wood waiting for Minho, who would search for reinforcements, since the other Runners had quit after Alby got stung and Thomas insisted to go to the maze to search for more clues. But this voice…it was _her _voice, he knew that. The voice of the black-haired girl who had briefly recognizing before falling into coma again.

_"__Tom, we're the last ones. It'll end soon. It has to"_

_"__Tom, don't freak out on me"_

_"__My memory's fading already, Tom. I won't remember much when I wake up. We can pass the Trials. It has to end. They sent the other girl as the last experiment and me as a trigger"_

_"__Everything is going to change"_

_"__It was you and me, Tom. _We _did this to them. To us"_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, guys, that was it :) Hope you liked it. Do not forget to R&amp;R, please :) xx  
**


	2. Rise and shine or not?

**A/N: Hi, everyone, here we are again :) Time for someone to wake up, hehe :) Okay, I am officially obsessed with the Maze Runner, I love it :) And I love writing about Newt being all helpful and deal with the shuck named Gally. **

**scarlettebooks- Okay, more you shall have, my friend :)**

**FireOfInspiration- Thank you so much :) I hope you will like the update too**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner...If I did, some events concerning Newt *cough* "Death Cure" *cough*wouldn't happen**

Eve felt life returning in her body as the darkness faded away and she could connect herself with reality again; clear voices this time, the sound of steps, someone moaning loudly in pain. She was much better now, the good sleep had helped her and, although still curious and confused to find out what was happening to her, she didn't have the panic she had felt during her coma. After a few seconds, she managed to open her eyes and, ignoring her sore nerves, she sat up on her bed and took a tired look around.

She was in what seemed like a wooden hut, simple, with beds all around, most of them empty. The only ones that were occupied, except hers, was the one next to hers, where a black-haired girl was asleep, and one a few feet away from her. A tall, dark-skinned guy was laying on it, with an expression as if he was in a lot of pain.

Nothing made sense, but, as she tried to fine the end of the thread, she realized that she couldn't remember anything but her name. She could vaguely recall being stuck with the girl in that mysterious elevator that brought them here, obviously; and someone comforting her, but it stopped there. Everything else was gone and she shuddered, wrapping her grey blanket around her.

At that moment, two boys, a dark-skinned and a white-skinned, came in, the one carrying a glass of water and the other a bowl. When they saw her awake, their concerned faces were replaced by happy ones as they approached her, carefully to not disturb the other two.

'Ah, look who's woken up!' the one of them exclaimed with a wide smile. 'Welcome to the Glade, Greenie!'

Glade? Greenie? The terms were unknown to her and she assumed that they were used by the habitants of this place.

_Now I think about it…_what _is this place?_

'Where…am I?' she wanted to know, her voice still a bit hoarse, and she accepted with gratitude the glass of water the boy handed her, drinking it almost all at once.

'Easy there, slow down' the dark-skinned boy chuckled gently, seeing her. 'Take smaller sips, you were slightly dehydrated and you just woke up from a coma. You need to regain your strength'

'As for your question, this is the Glade, your new home' the other one added. 'Can you tell us anything? Your name, where you came from…?'

'My name…is Eve. That's all I remember, nothing else, and I don't understand…'

'Don't worry, happens to all of us. We all come here with our only memory being our first name and nothing else. I am Jeff, by the way, and this is Clint; we're the two med-jacks'

Eve nodded and looked briefly towards the unconscious girl, narrowing her eyebrows. Why did they arrive together here? Were they friends, in the past life she couldn't recall at all? And who on earth sent them and the others here?

'You know her?' Clint asked, following her gaze.

'No'

'You neither? Because, when you two came here, she woke up for a second, recognized one of the boys and fell into coma again. He says, though, that he doesn't recognize her back' Clint explained.

'How _could_ he, Clint? His memories were wiped too!'

'And how did _she _remember him, then?'

'Do you think it's a coincidence that she remembered the guy who should be the only newcomer for this month and who has as a goal to go into that maze and get us out of here?'

'Sorry to interrupt, but…what are you two talking about?' Eve interfered, looking from the one to the other. '_Who _did she recognize? What do you mean with "the only newcomer for this month"? And what is that maze and how can it get us out of here?'

'Whoa, whoa, calm down' Jeff lowered his voice, realizing that it was the moment every Greenie went through the first day; the moment of answering questions and keep things as simple as possible. 'Right now, you have many questions, we understand. First of all, do you remember how you arrived?'

'My memories start with being in something like a box'

'Exactly!' Clint nodded. 'Every month, the Box comes up here, with fresh supplies and a new Glader'

'Only that we've already met this month's newbie' Jeff continued. 'His name is Thomas…very curious guy, is determined to solve the mystery of why we are here, and he keeps breaking the rules; he's just asking for trouble if you ask me'

'And then the Box came again, this time with you, ladies' Clint concluded. 'Twice in the same month and with girls for the first time, you realize that it was quite the surprise for us'

'For the first time? You sure?'

'Absolutely. Some of the Gladers have been here from the beginning of all this mess; it's the first time girls come here'

Eve stayed silent after this. What was going on here? If the two med-jacks were honest, and they had no reason to lie to her…then what the hell were she and the other one doing here? Not to mention that, with the two of them, this made three newcomers in the same month. She had thought that her questions would be answered, but, instead, they had only created more questions.

'You'll soon see the Greenie we're talking about. Maybe it will ring a bell' Jeff tried to give her courage.

'And, so you start learning, "Greenie" is a word we use for "newcomer"…like a fresh, green bean between brown, old ones' Clint laughed.

'I see. You guys mentioned something about the maze…care to explain?'

'Ah, this is someone else's responsibility' Clint answered. 'You can ask Newt, when he'll give you the tour. Second-in-command of the Glade and, right now, he's in charge, since our leader isn't in the position'

His words gave Eve more hope. Surely the second-in-command of this place could give her some more information, since, as Clint and Jeff couldn't or didn't want to say anything more about this specific issue.

'But enough with the questions for now!' Clint decided and gave her the bowl with the soup. 'Time to eat'

'Thanks, Clint, but I'm not hungry; I feel as if I'm gonna puke'

'We don't care! You'll eat whether you want it or not, you're still weak'

* * *

Meanwhile, Thomas, Minho and the three Gladers who had been with them in the maze, were informing Newt and Gally of their discovery: a rusty object with the number "7" glowing in red and a yellow label with the letters WCKD and the number sequence 9643921. Newt, despite being frustrated at Thomas for his recklessness to go in there again, had to admit that it was an important clue and maybe the key to their exit. Unlike Gally, who was ready to explode, he waited patiently to hear the explanations.

'It was inside a Griever' Thomas told them.

'These are the same letters we get in our supplies' Newt commented surprised.

'Yeah' Thomas said. 'Whoever put us here obviously made the Grievers'

The cogs in Newt's mind started working on full speed. What could this mean? This connection between the Grievers and the Creators…what was behind this and why? Either they wanted one after the other dead, which was irrational since _they_ had brought them in the Glade, or there was something else, something bigger.

'This is the first real clue, the first anything, you've found in over three years. Right, Minho?'

'Right' the Keeper of the Runners confirmed and Thomas turned to his blond friend again.

'Newt, we gotta go back out there' he suggested with a serious voice and Newt drew his eyes away from the mysterious object to look at him. 'Who knows where this might lead us'

To the outside world…To the answer to this situation that tortured all of them…To the feeling that something good could come out of this, out of his imprisonment, of his nightmares…of that horrible day, years ago, the darkest day of his life. Newt quickly looked at Gally, awaiting his angry reply, only to shut his mind out of that memory. Besides Alby, Clint and Jeff, no one knew about his failed attempt to end his own life when he had thought that this was the only way to escape.

'You see what he's trying to do, right?' Gally snapped. 'First he breaks our rules and then he tries to convince us to abandon them totally. The rules are the only thing that have ever held us together; why now are we questioning that?'

_Because I myself need to know. I refuse to continue like this, treated like a subject by some random shucks out there; especially now, when we finally have something in our hands._

'If Alby was here, you know he'd agree with me. This shank needs to be punished'

If Gally thought that, by mentioning Alby, he would persuade Newt, he was about to be disappointed. Newt knew that the time had come for him to decide how to go on. Stay in the Glade, stick to the rules and continue things as they were or take the risk, trust Thomas and investigate the matter further.

He had already taken his decision, but he was not stupid to believe that Gally would simply accept it. The Keeper of the Builders was unpredictable and no one could guarantee him that he wouldn't do reckless actions only to prevent things from changing. With a frown, he gave the devise back to Minho.

'You're right. Thomas broke the rules. One night in the pit and no food'

'Oh, come on, Newt!' Gally rolled his eyes. 'One night in the pit? You think that's gonna stop him from going into the maze?'

'No. And we can't just have non-runners running into the maze whenever they feel like it!' Newt raised his voice and Thomas nodded solemnly, as if he expected him to say that he would be banished. 'So let's just make this official. Starting from tomorrow, you're a Runner!'

Thomas was definitely caught off guard, for he simply stared at him; Minho and Winston just smiled and Gally was taken aback, seeing that no one of those who were gathered was by his side.

'Wow' he hissed and stormed outside, ignoring Frypan's tries to calm him down, and, in the end, the cook of the Glade followed him.

'Thanks, Newt' Thomas told him.

Newt stared at him for a few seconds and then turned his back to him. He still had to discuss some things with Thomas and Minho, but first he needed a few seconds to put his thoughts in order, wondering whether his decision had just triggered some major avalanche.

* * *

After eating the delicious soup, Eve could sense some of her lost energy coming back. Her pale face had some color now and she smiled as Clint and Jeff told her funny stories about their time in the Glade. The sound of laughter echoed all around and, although she still had some questions that had to be answered, she had decided that it could wait for now, until she would speak with the second-in-command. She only hoped that he would not treat her as some weird object; that he would listen to her story and would fill her on the many things she still could not understand.

Suddenly, running steps were heard outside the Homestead, as the hut was called, together with two voices, an angry one and a calmer one. The two Med-jacks jumped on their feet, both with looks as if something wrong was about to happen.

'What the shuck is wrong with Gally?' Jeff wondered. 'Is he stung or something?'

'Yeah, why is he throwing a fit?'

The next moment, a tall boy rushed inside, with another guy right behind him, fuming and looking as if he wanted to beat someone. When he saw that Eve was awake, a dangerous spark appeared in his eyes and he went towards her like an angry bull; Eve only stared at him in shock, trying to make a sense.

'You!' Gally yelled and pushed Clint and Jeff aside. 'You, the other girl and that shank did this, right? You came here to ruin our lives; we were living in perfect harmony until you appeared!'

'Gally, stop!' Jeff told him sharply, but he didn't listen.

'Who are you?' he screamed and shook Eve's shoulders violently. 'Who are you and what do you want from us?'

'I don't know what you're talking about!' Eve yelled back. 'I don't want to ruin anything, I don't know who this girl is, I can't remember anything except my name!'

'Liar!'

'Gally, that's enough!' Frypan interfered firmly. 'Just because Newt made Thomas a Runner doesn't mean that she—'

'Shut it, Fry!' Gally snapped. 'First Thomas breaks all the rules and doesn't get the punishment he deserves and now we have two girls for the first time and with the warning that they will be the last ones!'

'_What_ last ones?' Eve screamed, tears running down her face. 'Just explain, I just woke up in this place with no memories, I don't understand anything!'

'Oh, come on, I'm not buying this!'

Between this turmoil, Gally yelling, Eve trying to explain and Clint and Jeff wanting to calm the spirits down, no one noticed Frypan, who stormed out of the Homestead again. Only one person could deal with Gally right now and he ran to inform him, knowing that Newt would reason with the irritable Builder better. Newt was still talking with Thomas and Minho and the three of them jumped startled when they saw the dark-skinned cook coming inside.

'What's the matter, Frypan?' Minho asked him worried.

'It's Gally' he panted. 'He thinks the girls and Thomas are responsible for all this…Went in the Homestead…And when he saw that one of the girls, the brunette one, is awake, he started to accuse her, screaming at her…'

'WHAT?' Newt gasped and he felt anger boiling inside him; that shuckface had just crossed the line. It was his duty to ensure the girls' comfort and, ever since he had briefly seen Eve and how confused she was, he had felt the urge to protect her.

'Yeah, he's gone completely crazy, he doesn't listen to us…She tried to explain that she doesn't know anything, but he doesn't want to hear anything'

'Okay, that's enough' Newt said determined and made his way to the door.

'Need any help?' Minho called after him.

'No, thanks, Minho; show Thomas the Map Room, since he's gonna be a Runner. I will handle the little piece of klunk on my own!'

* * *

When Newt burst into the Homestead, it took all of his composure to not go completely ballistic. Gally was standing in front of Eve, who was on the verge of a crisis as she cried and tried to make the boy listen to her. The two Med-jacks through Newt an apologizing look as they stood there, unable to help.

'What the shuck is going on here?' Newt's voice covered the other two and the silence that followed was almost threatening. 'Gally, what exactly do you think you are doing?'

'I am caring for the Glade and ensuring that everything will be as it has always been is what I think I am doing! I am trying to keep the threats away from us!'

'Oh, I see' Newt nodded sarcastically. 'And it's really necessary to terrify an innocent girl in the process? They wiped her memories away, just like they did with all of us!'

'_Innocent_?' Gally repeated frustrated and pointed at her, making her gasp, awaiting another attack. 'You're calling _her _innocent? If she was innocent, the Creators would sent girls as well, not only boys and only _now _two girls at once!'

'Key word here is "Creators", Gally, she is their victim as well and by scaring the living daylights out of her you won't achieve anything!'

'Just because Thomas is your friend and you're fascinated by her because she's a girl doesn't mean that—'

'Shut it!' Newt raised his hand, marking his words. The sight of the distraught brunette was making him angry and sad at the same time, but first he had to control the Glader. 'We're gonna figure everything out but this isn't your job! And, unless you want to keep Thomas company in the pit tonight, you'll bloody leave her alone, am I clear?'

'You'll soon realize your mistake, Newt' Gally spat as he left, pushing him roughly. 'I only hope that it won't be too late when you see that I was right to treat her like she deserves'

'When I ever want to terrorize someone, I will seek your advice, but until then I'll pass, thank you' was Newt's answer. When Gally left, Jeff and Clint approached him, speaking in hushed tones that were covered by Eve's sobs.

'Newt, we tried to stop him, honestly, but you saw him…'

'I know, Clint, don't worry; he's a slinthead, we all know that' Newt consoled him and threw a short glance towards the girl before turning to the Meds again. 'How is she?'

'Much better; her pulse is normal and she has eaten and drunk' Jeff informed him. 'She doesn't remember anything, only her name, and she's honest, Newt…'

'I'm sure…'

'We told her a few things about the Glade, but we left the serious stuff to you' Clint concluded. 'We thought you're the best for this and, besides, you managed to calm her down when she was in a coma'

'I'll take care of her' Newt promised them. 'Could you guys give us a minute? She probably doesn't want many people around her after this'

'Of course' Clint and Jeff agreed and left willingly.

'Frypan' Newt turned towards the cook 'go and tell the others that one of the girls is awake and that her name is Eve. And warn them' at this point his voice grew darker 'to leave her alone and to not disturb her in any way, okay?'

'Will do, Newt' Frypan patted him on the shoulder and left as well.

When Eve heard steps on the floor and she saw Newt coming slowly towards her, she left a squeak and brought her knees to her chest, looking frantically around for a way to escape. Newt took a few deep breaths to stay calm, knowing that he had to be very careful with her.

'Hey, hey, don't be afraid of me' he whispered and sat down on the edge of her bed, his eyes meeting hers. 'I'm not going to hurt you, I promise'

'He…He…He came in here…Started yelling at me accusing me of something…Called me a liar…Said that I should be thrown in a maze or something…'

'Bloody shank' the blond teenager hissed under his teeth, but she didn't hear it. 'I apologize for him, he's a big git…He sticks to the rules and isn't very happy with the fact that we have two girls amongst us'

'I told him already, I have no idea why they sent us here' Eve stuttered between her sobs. 'I don't know anything, please, believe me'

'Calm down, I do believe you' he told her honestly and, after a small hesitation, caressed her arm lightly. She flinched, but didn't push him away, with gave him courage. 'Relax, take deep breaths, come on, you can do this'

And she did as he said, as if he had a comforting influence on her. She stared at him and couldn't suppress her gasp when she realized that she had briefly seen him before. Dark brown eyes, blond hair and this smile; he was the one who had helped her relax when she was still unconscious.

'Thank you' she said and a small smile appeared on her face, transforming her whole expression. 'You saved me…I thought he was gonna attack me…'

'I would never allow him to do that. It's obvious that the Creators put you here, like the rest of us…as for why they decided for a sudden gender change, that's beyond us' Newt explained and changed the subject. 'By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Newt, second-in-command'

So her mysterious savior was the one the Med-jacks had told her about? Eve laughed mentally, remembering her worries that maybe he would be cautious towards her. He didn't know her at all, but he was willing to defend her and help her get used in the new situation.

'So, if you think you can walk, I can show you around' Newt suggested her. 'After all, you must be curious to see what lies outside of here, right?'

'And what about her?' Eve pointed towards the black-haired girl who still hadn't woken up. 'I could keep an eye on her if you want'

'Don't worry about that, our Med-jacks will look after her just fine and you need some fresh air' Newt replied. 'And when she will wake up, then we can talk'

'Okay' she said and, after another deep breath, still trying to get over the verbal attack, stood up and steadied herself with Newt's help.

_Time to see this "Glade" then and solve this mystery._

* * *

**A/N: Okay, guys, another chapter has come to an end. I hope you enjoyed it and more chapters shall follow :)  
**


	3. Time for girl talk

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I wish you all a very happy New Year, health, happiness and lots of inspiration! :) My New Year's Eve gift for you, people, is another chapter; Newt shows Eve around (seriously, I am becoming more and more obsessed with the guy) and Teresa wakes up! Hope you will like it and a massive thank you to those who follow and favorite :)**

**ChpNinjaChick- Thank you for your review, my friend :) Yeah, Gally will always be Gally, unfortunately, the winner of the competition "Slinthead of the Year"**

**Its Jawsie- Thanks a lot :D Hope you will like the update**

**Krisicake- Thank you for both reviews :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Maze Runner" *bursts into sobs only my OC**

If there wasn't the tiny problem of her memory loss and the question why on earth she was sent here, Eve would admit that the Glade was a beautiful place. It was a green meadow with small huts and a forest nearby, boys were working or chatting and the scent of fresh earth and grass lingered around. Newt, patient and friendly, showed her everything and introduced her to some of the boys, who, although staring curiously at her, didn't tell her anything that would upset her, like that other boy had done, and this helped her relax a little. It would give the impression of safety and harmony, if it wasn't for the stone walls that surrounded the Glade.

'Out there is the maze' Newt explained when he saw her staring at the door. 'It is a dangerous place, but we are sure that it will lead us out of here. We have Runners who scout and map it every day, trying to reach a solution'

'And have they found anything?' Eve asked concerned.

'Well, the thing is this. For three years there were no news; and suddenly Thomas, the guy the other girl recognized, appears, wants to know everything, survives the maze and the monsters that lurk inside and finds something that could be a key'

'Then why did Gally rush in the hut and started accusing me of something I have no idea about?'

'You already know that you and the other one are the first girls who have ever come here' Newt told her with a gentle smile. 'And right after Thomas came here, everything started to change; we have found a possible way to escape and the Creators send girls here'

'The Creators?' Eve repeated and threw a look around. 'That's how they're called, those who are behind this? But why did they do this, Newt? Who would ever be so cruel to do this to us?'

'If we ever meet the slintheads, I'll ask them that question myself' the blond boy chuckled. 'Main point is, many consider Thomas responsible for all these changes. Some of the Gladers, Gally included, prefer to stick to the rules and let things go on as they are. When I made Thomas a Runner to investigate the matter further, Gally just _needed _to burst his nerves out. He thinks you're a threat'

Eve didn't speak after this, but continued looking around. She and the black-haired girl were the first females here; why had the mysterious Creators decided to change the rules? Unless Newt was right and Thomas's persistence had triggered something. She felt guilty, but she knew that nothing was her fault; with her memories wiped and now stuck in this prison-like place, with a maze and monsters around them, she was now a part of this.

_If I feel like this…how do the others feel, who have been here for three bloody years?_

After her "pleasant" encounter with Gally and Newt's explanations, she had realized that now she had a difficult path in front of her. She had to convince the others that she wasn't a threat, but a victim of the situation. For that, though, she would need help. Her female companion hadn't woken up yet and, although Newt's presence gave her a sense of safety and he had answered some of her questions, she needed to speak to the person whose name was mentioned many times already.

'I need to speak to Thomas' she whispered. 'If his arrival was the beginning of everything and if he was recognized by the other girl…then maybe he can help'

'Right now he's with Minho, the Keeper of the Runners, who shows him some information about his part. You'll meet him soon enough, though, but he doesn't remember either of you'

Eve nodded. She still felt uneasy, as if she didn't belong here, but she would wait. Her eyes fell on a large, empty area that had two heavy doors and some boys were watching it nervously. Newt caught her gaze and sighed; after all, he had been in the same position and still remembered how awful it was in there.

'That's the Box, your one-way-ticket here' he said and she looked at him startled. 'It comes every month with supplies and a newcomer…only that, this month, it made an exception'

She could still feel it…the sense that she was suffocating, combined with the horrible lift upstairs, into the unknown. Then, she remembered that Gally had said something about the two girls being "the last ones", but before she could ask Newt, a short boy with curly hair ran towards them. His face was childish and brightened by a wide smile, which she couldn't help but return; even Newt forgot the seriousness of the situation and smiled.

'Hey, Newt! Giving the Greenie here the tour, eh?'

'The "Greenie" has a name, you know. Chuck, meet Eve, one of the two girls the Creators honored us with' Newt laughed and Eve blushed a deep red. 'Eve, this is Chuck, the youngest of the Gladers!'

'Youngest, smartest and funniest' Chuck boasted and his smile became smug.

'And most modest, as I can see' Eve teased him and ruffled his hair. 'Well, Chuck, don't you see me as the weird addition who will bring disaster over you?'

'Ah, if those Creators decided to send girls too, they have my permission' Chuck said and laughed. 'No, I see you as our new interesting exception here!'

'And it's because of that exception that this whole shuck place is falling to pieces!' a furious voice was heard and Eve saw, with a wave of fear and anger, Gally approaching them. She felt Newt's hand caressing her back in a soothing way and she was grateful to him; but, after learning some things, she felt more ready to confront him.

'What do you mean?' the second-in-command asked, trying to sound calm, although he would prefer to punch that slinthead. 'What else happened?'

'The Box hasn't gone down yet, although we took all the supplies from it' Gally replied, nodding towards the doors. 'Comes every month, same time, same day, leaves supplies and goes downwards for three years. But not today'

Eve's green-brown eyes narrowed at the boy's words. Maybe that was what he meant earlier, when he talked about the warning that they would be the last ones.

_The last ones to ever come here? They won't even send _supplies_? But everyone will suffer because of this sooner or later! This can't be a coincidence! _she thought as she combined everything she had heard until now. It was like a chain between the events occurring here and the Creators' reaction. A guy named Thomas had arrived and wanted to find a solution to this no matter what, he had survived the maze and found a key; two girls came here for the first time and the Bix wouldn't provide the Gladers with anything else.

'Oh, we're shucked for good now' Chuck whispered worried and it was as if he was saying out loud what she was thinking.

'No supplies from the bloody Box—yeah, I'd say we're shucked' Newt agreed, but his eyes were focused on the short boy and he wasn't accusing the girl next to him.

Unlike someone else.

'You know who is to blame, right?' Gally hissed. 'I had warned you, Newt, but you wouldn't listen to me'

'Well, give me my memories back so I can give you an explanation why all this is happening' Eve snapped at him; she was tired of him speaking of her like that. 'I have absolutely no idea why you'll have no supplies anymore or what the hell I am doing here! And if you could stop being so close-minded, then you would see that right now you have much bigger problems than two girls who don't know anything!'

Gally stared at her as if she had spoken in an unknown language; Chuck burst out laughing and Newt smiled proudly at her. Finally, she had started to gain some strength and defend herself, despite not knowing anything more. He had decided to stand by her side and help her; Eve was now a Glader and as much help as possible would be good for her to get used in the new environment. Before he could say anything, though, a huge turmoil was heard from the Homestead and, even from this distance, they could hear Jeff and Clint yelling.

'What the hell happened again?' Chuck wondered. 'Did Alby wake up or something?'

His question was answered the next second, because they saw the black-haired girl storming out of the hut as if something was changing her, looking terrified around. Some of the boys tried to approach her and calm her down, but she pushed them away and continued running, climbing up the wooden tower the Gladers had built. Soon, everyone was gathered in front of it, yelling at her to relax, because no one would hurt her.

'Come on, guys, let's go' Newt told them and they made their way to the others. 'Jeff, Clint, can you go and inform Thomas and Minho?'

'Sure, Newt' they nodded and left at once.

'Hey, listen here!' Newt shouted to the girl, who was looking down at them. 'It's fine, we want to help!'

'NO!' she screamed and started throwing stones at them. 'Go away, I don't want to talk to anyone!'

'We can explain everything!'

'SHUT UP!'

'Don't you remember me? We arrived here together!' Eve made a try. 'Care for some girl talk maybe…OUCH!' she groaned as a stone hit her right on the head. 'Well, you have a good aim, I give you that!'

'Winston!' Gally called for the Keeper of the Slicers. 'Take some guys with you and find objects so we can protect our physical integrity from this one!'

'Why don't you leave?' the black-haired female shouted at them and continued throwing stones and small rocks.

'Maybe because we want to help!' Zart yelled furiously.

Eve couldn't exactly blame her; after all, this was horrible, waking up in a place out of the blue, without knowing anyone, with no memories except your name…

_Wait a minute!_

'Can you at least tell us your name?' she wanted to know, but the only thing she got as a result was another stone on her head. At this moment, Winston and the boys who had gone with him returned with wooden covers from crates and metal lids.

'Nice try, Greenie' Gally scoffed.

'Well then _you _tell me how to get her here!' Eve turned at him.

'Leave me alone!' the girl yelled.

'Watch your head!'

'Hey, throw one more of those things…' Gally started threateningly, but the stone that hit him cut him off.

'Go away!'

'We come in peace!' someone said, but without success.

'What happened?' another voice was added and Eve saw that two black-haired boys had joined them.

'Here, Eve, get under here' Newt pushed her under a wooded cover Winston was holding before hiding himself.

'Just duck!' Gally warned the boy who had spoken.

'I don't think she likes us very much' Newt commented and Winston lifted his hands a bit, so that the blond could see his friends.

'What do you want from me?' the girl on the tower continued.

'We certainly don't want to kill you!' Eve answered.

'We just wanna talk!' the boy who had just come added.

'I'm warning you!'

'Take cover, y'all! Take cover!' Gally advised and he didn't need to say that twice, because the more time was passing the more stones rained down from the tower.

'So she would wake up and we would talk, huh, Newt?' Eve asked, shaking her head desperately; okay, the girl was upset, but they could tell her some things if she only let them to, instead of attacking them.

'Hey, it's Thomas! It's Thomas' the unknown guy spoke again and, suddenly, the stones stopped and the girl's head appeared on the top of the building.

_That was the magic word_, Eve thought and stared at him. _So, this is Thomas everyone is talking about; the one who caused all these changes and wants to get us out of here; the one this girl recognized._

'I'm gonna come up, okay?' he continued and her head disappeared again, like a silent approval.

'Before you go to her, Thomas' Newt stopped him as the others sat down or returned to their work 'this is Eve, the second girl'

'Nice to meet you, Thomas' Eve smiled and shook his hand. 'I've already heard many things about you'

'Nice to meet you too, Eve' he answered and stared at her, as if he was trying to find out if she rang a bell. 'Forgive me, but I can not remember you…neither you nor the other one; even if some thought I would, since she recognized me'

'That's okay; after all, the Creators erased your memories just like they did with all of us' she assured him. 'Good luck with her, I really hope that it will go well…I could even talk to her, if she wants'

'Sure' he replied and, after throwing a I-am-going-to-my-own-death look at the tower, climbed up to speak with her.

'That was interesting' the other boy, who had arrived together with Thomas, mumbled before turning to Eve. 'I am Minho, Keeper of the Runners. So, you're the second girl'

'Yes, that's me' Eve smirked, but a particular word had caught her attention. 'Did you say "Runners"? You're going inside that maze every day to find an exit?'

'Oh, I see Newt has already filled you in perfectly' Minho winked towards the second-in-command, who rolled his brown eyes. 'Yes, you are right; and, after three years, thanks to Thomas, we may have found something'

'Is it just me or is Thomas indeed the key to everything?' Eve asked and her gaze travelled between the two boys.

'He surely is…in what way, that is still a mystery' Minho concluded.

'Lucky guy; he will talk with the girl first' Chuck laughed. Eve followed suit and patted the little boy on the back.

'Considering how she reacted, we'll see if he is the lucky guy' she mumbled and her eyes didn't leave the tower, anxious to find out what they were discussing. Did the girl remember that she had recognized Thomas or had her memories disappeared the moment she woke up?

'What's going on up there?' Gally asked loudly, his voice unable to hide his anger, and Eve fought the urge to reply to this rude shuck—she had started to memorize some of the terms used in this place. They saw Thomas walking to the edge of the tower and looking down at them.

'Is she coming down?' the next question came by Newt, although he wasn't angry like Gally, only curious and cautious.

'Listen, you guys, just give us a second, okay?' Thomas pleaded them and they understood that he hadn't broken the ice completely. 'Eve, would you mind talking to her later?'

'No problem, Thomas' the brunette girl answered good-heartedly.

'Alright' Newt agreed and gestured towards the others, signing them to go. 'Come on'

'Is this what all girls are like?' Frypan wanted to know before looking at Eve apologizing. 'No offense, Eve'

'No offense taken. To answer your question, though: even if a girl isn't like that, she can react that way if she's challenged' Eve explained.

'And that's why you girls will remain a mystery' Frypan chuckled.

'But a challenging mystery to solve' Minho added and winked, causing many to laugh.

'Keep dreaming' Eve giggled as they walked away, leaving Thomas and the girl in peace. 'So, what do you do during the day?'

'Oh, we are working, each one has his own part' Newt informed her. 'Minho here is a Runner, Frypan is our cook, Gally is the Keeper of the Builders and so on'

'You have really made a community here!' Eve whistled; trapped or not, she was impressed. 'Honestly, if it wasn't for these walls, I would love to stay here'

'Something tells me that these walls are the reason we are here' Newt commented with sad eyes and a frown. 'Something lies in there, I can feel it'

'Hey, listen. I may be one of the two first girls, I may be in complete darkness about what is happening, but I honestly want to help' Eve made clear. 'I want you to find a way out and assist you in every way I can to solve this puzzle!'

'I know' Newt nodded and the comforting smile appeared on his face again. 'After all, girl or not, you are one of us now'

* * *

'"They are the last ones"' the black-haired girl, Teresa, read the note that was found in her hand. 'What does that mean?'

'I'm not sure. Ever since you and Eve came up, that Box hasn't gone back down' Thomas told her. 'I just think it's got everyone a little worried. Especially Gally'

Both of them looked at the lake, where Glader in question was standing, arms crossed and staring at them, as if they were preparing a terrible conspiracy against him.

'He thinks it's my fault' Teresa whispered. 'Mine and the other girl's…'

'Yeah, although I could tell that Eve can not recall anything from her past life. Are you sure you don't remember anything else?' Thomas wanted to know politely, knowing that he shouldn't pressure her.

Teresa stayed silent for a few moments, forcing her mind to work. Even unconscious, she had felt the Box that had brought her here; from that point, her memories were clear. When it came to before, though, she realized she _could_ remember things, apart from her name, but only pieces.

'I remember water…feeling like I was drowning' she quietly admitted. 'These faces staring at me. And this woman's voice saying the same thing over and over'

'"Wicked is good"' Thomas quoted; these words kept haunting him in his own dreams. He saw Teresa looking at him surprised and he quickly explained. 'Ever since I've been here, I've had these dreams. Or I _thought_ they were dreams. You…You were there. You were there and you told me that everything was gonna change. And while you were in a coma' he recalled her voice in his head, telling him that _they_ had done all this, although he wouldn't reveal this to her 'you spoke in my head, telling me that Eve was the last experiment and you the trigger'

Teresa didn't know what to make of this. She didn't remember Eve and she couldn't understand what she had meant with "experiment", "change" and "trigger". Could it be that, during her coma, her mind was fighting between her old life and the Glade, where no one remembered?

'What does it mean?'

'I don't know' Thomas shook his head. 'I just always get pieces'

'And the others don't remember anything?' Teresa went on, starting to feel the dread of the entire situation. If she felt like this, having some memories, how did the others feel, with absolutely no memory at all?

'No. Why are we different?' Thomas spoke aloud the question that couldn't leave him alone since those dreams had started. The girl didn't have the answer to his question, but she had something else. She handed him two syringes.

'These were in my pocket when I came up'

'W.C.K.D' Thomas read the letters that were on the objects. '"Wicked is good"'

'What if we were sent here for a reason?' Teresa brought a point, although she couldn't even guess what that reason was.

'Alby'

* * *

Eve had to try very hard not to scream when she saw the dark-skinned leader of the Glade in the Homestead. He was in a dreadful situation, some veins in his body clearly visible and he was bathed in sweat as he groaned in pain. The two Med-jacks were keeping their composure, but Newt looked horrible; almost guilty because he couldn't save him.

'What the hell did this to him?' she hissed.

'Grievers. The monsters that lurk in the maze' Clint replied. 'If you get stung, you get through the so-called Changing, although no one has ever told us specifically what they see'

'Until now the Grievers were only going out at night, after the doors close' Newt continued. 'But then a Runner, Ben, got stung at broad daylight'

'How is that possible?' Eve's eyebrows narrowed; she had just learned another change that had occurred.

At this moment, Thomas and the girl came in the hut. She quickly introduced herself as Teresa and explained the reason of their rush. Teresa had found two syringed in her pocket and they thought that the serum they held was a cure for those who were stung. Eve and the Med-jacks smiled with hope, but Newt was more careful.

'We don't even know what this stuff is! We don't know who sent it…Or why it came up here with you' he disagreed and pointed at Teresa. 'I mean, for all we know, this thing could kill him!'

Even if Eve did not like it, she had to admit that he had a point. If the Creators were capable to send them up here and control them, who told her they would not do such a thing? Taking Alby's life only to prevent him from telling them what he had seen in the Changing.

'He's already dying. Look at him' Thomas interfered and Newt's expression almost broke when he stared at his suffering friend, their leader. Silently, Eve placed a hand on his shoulder and caressed it slightly to give him a sense of courage. His dark brown eyes met her green-brown ones and he offered her a sad smile.

'How could this possibly make it any worse?' Thomas asked him—and he had a point as well. It was a risk and the question was whether they would accept it or not. 'Come on, it's worth a try'

Alby started groaning louder and Eve realized that he didn't have much time. They should decide now: use the syringe or not. She didn't trust whoever had sent them here, but she knew that no one would deal with the guilt if Alby died, although they could help him.

'Alright' Newt seemed to think the same and gave the syringe to Thomas. 'Do it'

_Please, let it work, please!_

Thomas went and stood over Alby, ready to inject the serum, but before he threw them a last glance, as if he wanted them to assure him that he was doing the right thing.

'Okay'

Suddenly, Alby's eyes opened and the tall guy grabbed Thomas from his shirt, pulling him roughly. Everyone ran to their side, trying to free Thomas from his strong grip and hold Alby down.

'You shouldn't be here!' he roared. 'You shouldn't be here!'

'Watch out!' Newt yelled.

'Teresa!' Eve called out for her.

'Get the syringe!' Thomas ordered. 'Let go!'

Teresa stung Alby with the syringe and he immediately calmed down, his hands released Thomas and he fell back to sleep. The rest of them took deep breaths, shocked because of the sudden outburst. Eve rubbed her arms and stared once at Alby and once at Thomas; why the hell had he attacked him? Was it only because Thomas was the first one he saw and he had thought he would attack him? Or did it have to do with the Changing?

_Why did he say that Thomas shouldn't be here? What is going on here?_

'Well, that worked' Jeff stated.

'Okay, from now on, someone stays here and watches him around the clock' Newt's voice was clear and strong; he was on the verge of having an anxiety attack, but he had to keep his nerves at bay. At this moment, Gally entered, but he didn't comment anything.

'Hey. Sundown, Greenie' he said and nodded towards Thomas. 'Time to go'

After exchanging nervous looks with the others, Thomas followed him outside. Newt briefly explained that Thomas was punished for running into the maze twice, although he wasn't a Runner.

'I was tired of this, so I just decided to make it official and make him a Runner afterwards' he concluded.

'I can watch over Alby tonight' Teresa declared herself willing. 'If anything changes, I'll call you'

'I'll stay with you; I am not in the mood to sleep, anyway' Eve nodded.

'Okay, but if anything happens, don't hesitate to wake us up' Clint told them.

'In a few hours try and give him some water' Jeff advised them. 'He needs it after all this battle'

When Newt went outside, silence fell in the hut as the two girls sat down, each on one edge of Alby's bed. Eve stared at her, not knowing how to start. Teresa was much calmer now and surely Thomas had given her some information.

'Are you better?' she started.

'Yeah, much, thanks. And you? Sorry about hitting you with those stones, I had woken up without knowing anything and completely freaked out'

'That's fine, don't think about it' Eve smiled. 'So, it seems that we came here together…Only the Creators know why, though. Do you have any idea?'

'None' Teresa said sadly. 'Maybe they think we are special for some reason, I don't know…'

'Maybe we will play a major role in getting us out of here' Eve made another guess. 'Newt told me that, ever since all this started, they are trying to find a way out; and now they may have a clue. Perhaps they thought we can help or something'

'I only hope that this will be solved soon' Teresa admitted. 'I hate everyone staring at us as if we are weird or responsible for all this, since our own memories are wiped as well'

'Some of them are quite nice' Eve chuckled. 'And don't forget that it's the first time they see girls in here…Hey! That's it!' she exclaimed, deciding that a bit of fun would ease the tension.

'What is it?'

'Think about it; we are two girls surrounded by at least fifty boys!' Eve laughed. 'We are the chosen ones!'

Teresa smirked, but then she grew serious again as she looked at the other girl. She could not remember her, but this didn't mean that they shouldn't trust each other.

'We surely are the chosen ones, Eve. Although, I am not sure I want to find out what we were chosen for'

**A/N: Okayyy, guys, that was it for now! Hope you enjoyed it and I can not wait for your reviews! Happy New Year again :) xx**


	4. Midnight Mysteries

**A/N: Hello, everyone :) New chapter is up, hehe :) Eve learns more things about the Glade and is helping Teresa to find out more at the same time...and Gally is as shuckfaced as always! Hope you will like it :)**

**ShinigamiReiko- You're not weird at all, that was what gave me the idea! I don't like "Twilight", but Seth was quite nice and I had laughed at this scene.**

**Guest- Mostly, although there are gonna be some changed, both small and big. The big changes concern the "Death Cure" mostly**

**Oblivion16- Thank you so much, my friend :) I really hope you will like the update.**

**Unicornpoopp- Aww, thank you :D**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own the Maze Runner**

'So, that guy, Thomas…do you remember him?' Eve asked and Teresa stared at her as if she expected another accusation; so the brunette teenager quickly explained. 'Don't worry, I don't blame you, not at all. It's just that Newt told me you recognized him when we arrived'

'Yeah, though I have no idea why' Teresa shrugged. 'Jeff informed me that I mumbled his name in my sleep, but when I saw him after waking up my mind was blank'

'Well, maybe you two were connected before the Glade' Eve made an assumption. 'Very close friends or something like that'

'Then why can't the others recall anything? Only their name and nothing else?'

Eve stayed silent for a while, thinking about the girl's question. She had a point; the Creators had been following the same pattern for three years, sending people here after erasing their memories. Why had Teresa even this small memory that she and Thomas had some sort of connection in the past?

'Perhaps because things are changing' she said. 'I've been told some events of the past days that don't fit to this place and the rules that have been imposed. Something is at work here, everyone is sure about that. Perhaps our arrival here and you remembering even a small detail except your name is part of these changes'

'What sort of changes?' Teresa wanted to know. 'Pleasant ones?'

'Depends who you ask; Gally, for instance, isn't quite satisfied. But they could lead us out of this prison, in the real world'

'So there is a way out' the black-haired female concluded. 'And that's what has made Gally so furious, right?'

'Yeah, he thinks everything should stay as it is. I seriously wonder how he feels so comfortable here, surrounded by those damn stone walls. Anyway, the point is that the Glade is practically divided right now: to those who want to take the risk and try to escape and those who just want to stay here and continue their safe, trapped life. But I guess that this riddle will be solved sooner or later' Eve tried to sound optimistic, not wanting to confuse and worry the other girl more.

'You are right; and just sitting here and wait or sulk won't solve anything' Teresa agreed and chuckled. 'So, you've seen more of the Glade than I. How'd you find it?'

'Well, if the walls didn't exist and I had my memories, I'd say it's a beautiful place to live. They have organized their lives here, everyone has the job that fits him the best. Thomas has been appointed a Runner only today, Newt is the second-in-command-now-leader, Gally is the Keeper of the Builders, Jeff and Clint are the Med-jacks, Frypan is the cook…'

'And…Alby?' Teresa nodded towards the dark-skinned boy that lied on the bed. Alby was much calmer now, the syringe had done its work. Eve couldn't help but think about what he had seen that had made him so aggressive to attack Thomas.

'Alby was the leader and the very first Glader' Eve repeated what Newt had narrated to her when he was giving her the tour. 'One day, though, he ran in the maze that's behind those walls and got stung by the monsters it hosts. He was going through the "Changing"; that's what they call it, although I haven't understood what exactly it is'

'Whatever it is, it made him go totally crazy' Teresa commented and, using a towel, wiped the knots of sweat that had formed on Alby's forehead. 'For a second I had thought he would choke Thomas to death'

'He was a very good leader, according to Newt' Eve sighed. 'Let's hope that he will recover soon now that we gave him that syringe, although I still don't get why the Creators sent it with you. They trap us here, they create those monsters and they provide us with the cure for their poison? If they wanted us alive, then why have the Grievers, that's how these monsters are called, lurking in the maze at night and have them slaughter whoever poor Glader gets trapped in there?'

'Unless they devised them to challenge us' Teresa had another guess. 'And now they sent the syringes because we have proven a point to them or something'

'Could be; after all, I bet that they're watching us' Eve nodded with a darkened expression.

'If only we knew the reason…'

'And if we did? What then?' Eve scoffed. 'Would that ease things? It would only explain some aspects, but it would definitely not be helpful. Some of them are suffering, Teresa; suffering from this imprisonment that seems endless and without any sense'

A heavy silence fell after this declaration, that was interrupted only by the low sounds Alby was leaving. Teresa looked at Eve in a strange way, as if the younger girl's words had made her see her in a complete new way.

'It's weird, don't you think? We hardly know them, yet we still speak as if we always knew and cared about them'

'Well, whether we like it or not, we _are _Gladers now' Eve's voice was strong and determined. 'And I don't know about you, Teresa, but I will travel this path until we land to the root of everything, even if it is the last thing I'll ever do!'

'Hey, girls'

Both of them turned around startled, but relaxed immediately when they saw that it was only the two Med-jacks, who had entered the Homestead. It hadn't been much time since they had left them to watch over Alby, two hours the most; they probably were used to stay sleepless when they had someone severely injured, Eve guessed.

'You guys should sleep' Teresa seemed to have the same thoughts. 'Alby is better now and Eve and I have no problem staying with him for the night'

'She's right' Eve said eagerly.

'Ah, a Med-jack is always on his toes, no matter what' Clint replied and patted Eve on the shoulder. 'Besides, you two have had more than enough surprises for the day, time to get the rest you deserve'

'It doesn't matter, we're fine' Eve insisted. 'We can—'

'Eve!' Clint exclaimed. 'As your Med-jack, I am telling you to go and sleep this instant, am I clear? If Newt learns that our two female Greenies collapsed because of exhaustion and we didn't prevent it, he'll reward us with a sleepover together with the Grievers'

'We can not allow that, although you could use a little assistance' Teresa commented giggling. 'Come on, Eve, it seems that our job here is done'

'Alright, then' Eve sighed in defeat and stood up. 'If anything happens, just inform us'

'Okay. Chuck has already made you two hammocks, we hope you'll be comfortable' Jeff explained. 'We will see you in the morning'

'Good night, you two'

* * *

The Glade was covered in silence when the girls exited the Homestead and a few lit torches here and there broke the darkness, giving a mysterious and, at the same time, a comforting aura in the place. Nothing was heard except a few snores, because almost everyone had gone to sleep. Teresa and Eve spotted the two empty hammocks Jeff had told them about and Eve shuddered unwillingly. This was her first night in the Glade and her day had been filled with surprises and various emotions; everything was still so new, that the thought of sleeping brought her discomfort. She looked around, wondering if strolling around was against the rules, when she saw a sole figure sitting in the distance, his back turned towards her, staring at the closed, heavy doors that separated them from the maze and whatever was out there.

'Well, I guess that a few hours of sleep will help us' Teresa whispered to not disturb anyone.

'Actually, I'll stay up for a while longer; I feel that, even if I lie down, I'll stay awake' Eve answered and smiled. 'See you tomorrow, Teresa'

'Yeah, see you, Eve'

When Teresa made her way to the hammocks, Eve turned around and approached the boy who wasn't in the mood to close his eyes either. With a gasp, she realized that it was Newt, who hugged his knees as if cold and stared at the stone walls as if they had done something terrible to him.

_Actually, they _have _done something terrible to him, keeping him and the others here_, Eve thought as she silently sat down by his side. For a moment, she believed that the second-in-command was so lost in his own thoughts, that he hadn't acknowledged her presence, because he neither looked nor said anything to her; he just continued watching in front of him. But then his expression softened and he smiled slightly.

'Why are you not resting, Greenbean?' he wanted to know. 'It was a tough day for you'

Greenbean…that had to be another term used for newcomers, just like "Greenie". For some odd reason, Eve liked the first word; "Greenie" sounded childish and teasing, while "Greenbean" had a more tender tone. She returned the smile and followed his example, looking in front of her, yet being aware of him next to her and still able to talk comfortably. If she wanted to be honest with herself, she wouldn't mind if they stayed up until morning, talking or not.

'Not in the mood after the coma I went through' she said. She wouldn't admit this to everyone, but she had the feeling that Newt wouldn't laugh at her if she opened her heart to him. 'I still remember that suffocating darkness…the feeling that I was all alone…those voices…'

'You remember voices…and images perhaps?'

'No, not specific, I only remember a woman's voice that had confused me even more…I was digging through my mind and I only remembered my name after a lot of effort. After this, I find it difficult to sleep tonight'

'That's okay' Newt nodded with compassion. 'The first day is always hard. I kept mumbling and spinning in my sleep and I had almost fallen out of my hammock according to Alby'

Eve couldn't help but chuckle, although her chuckle was not a mocking one. She was really grateful that he understood what she was going through; when the Med-jacks had first told her about the second-in-command, she had feared that he would be an arrogant guy who would treat her as if she shouldn't be here. But it was the exact opposite: she wasn't here for long, but she had already reached the conclusion that she had found a true friend.

_Maybe_ _something good will come out of this mess!_

'Alby is much better, now you mention it' she consoled him and Newt relaxed immediately. 'He is calm and he is out of danger; Jeff and Clint are with him now'

'Then he is in good hands' Newt commented and his eyes narrowed as he shot an angry glare towards the maze. 'If only I could explain how he and the other guy, Ben, got stung in the middle of the day, I would have one bloody mystery less to worry about!'

At that moment, they heard a strange sound coming from the maze; stones grinding and a soft groan, as if doors were opening inside the huge creation. Eve folded her hands, trying to figure out what was happening and if it was another unexpected change, but Newt didn't seem surprised.

'Don't worry, that happens every single night. The maze is changing, I don't know how, but it's not the same the next day. That, of course, makes the Runners' job to map and memorize it even harder, although Minho once implied that there is a specific pattern in this changing'

'So, to see if I got it: we have a labyrinth with some monsters that started attacking people during the day, although they used to come out at night, _and _this thing is changing?' Eve gasped. 'Those Creators have a wild imagination, they do everything they can to keep you here'

'True' the blond Glader agreed. 'But that's the least. Before Thomas, who managed to come out of this shuckhole alive and rescue Alby in the process, with Minho's help, no one has ever survived a night in the maze. And believe me, there were many Gladers who were trapped in there'

'I'm sorry' Eve replied sadly and lowered her head. She couldn't even endure to imagine how it would be: both those who had realized that they would spend the night in the dangerous walls and never see their friends again and those in the Glade and the agony and sorrow they were going through. At the thought of the maze, though, another question had popped in her mind.

'Newt, can I ask you something else?'

'Of course, go ahead'

'What do you think is after the Maze? At the world away from here, the world we used to be a part of and can not reminisce'

Newt didn't speak at once and Eve regretted for being so bold. After all, this was surely something that had been bothering everyone from the moment they started coming in the Glade. But when he finally broke the silence, he didn't sound as if he accused her.

'If you had asked me when I arrived, when I was still a scared and naïve thirteen-year old, I would have said that I awaited some important people giving me my memories back and explaining why I was a part of all this and my parents greeting me with open arms' he confessed as if he wondered how he could be so stupid. 'Now, though…Now I think that more struggles are waiting for us out there'

'How so?' Eve looked at him for the first time since she joined him. 'Don't you believe that everything will be solved when we escape?'

'I believe that, even if everything is sorted out in the end, it will take a long time, because I don't think that the Creators will simply accept that we have found a way out' Newt explained and didn't tell her how much courage her words had brought him; she had said "_when _we escape", not "_if_ we escape". 'And there are many mysteries we need to solve. The existence of this place, the maze, our memory loss, all these changes, two girls in a group of guys…'

'It came as a shock, I know'

'No! _One_ girl, _that _would be a shock? But _two_? That's definitely a sign that things will change'

'Maybe it's time for things to change, Newt' Eve said determined and now he looked at her as well in a strange way: his eyes held pride, agreement, confusion and something that was very familiar with admiration. 'What? I may be here for a day, but all these things you've told me make me feel as if I've been living here for years. I honestly admire you for your endurance to this prison'

Before Newt could answer, though, another noise was heard from the direction of the maze, but it wasn't the noise of before, indicating that the changes inside were still in progress. This time it was such a bloodcurdling shriek that Eve instinctively grabbed Newt's hand in shock, for it sounded as if someone was slaughtered in there. The boy squeezed her hand comfortingly, understanding the terror she was feeling.

'What the bloody hell was that?' Eve hissed, taking deep breaths to regain her composure.

'That, my dear Eve, was one of our lovely neighbors, a Griever' he gently told her to ease her tension. 'If there's one positive thing that bloody maze does, it's that its doors close after sunset and keep those shanks in there'

Eve shuddered; she hadn't seen a Griever—_yet_, a small voice in her head commented—but her mind had already made horrible images of those creatures chasing and killing them. If the mere _noises _they were making were so creepy, how were they themselves?

'Isn't there a way to escape without having to face them?' she asked. 'Like, I don't know, climbing the walls or something'

'In those three years we've tried everything, literally everything, but without success. That object Minho and Thomas found inside a dead Griever seems to be our key for the outside world. The maze clearly has the solution of this hell, somewhere in these walls there must be a door or, at least, some bloody clues that explain how we can get out. There are so many corridors, alleys, paths, that it's impossible to believe that there's nothing'

'How do you know so many things about the maze?' Eve couldn't hold back. 'I mean, surely Minho and the other Runners keep you informed, but you know very much, although a non-runner'

Newt sighed and turned his gaze away from her, staring into the darkness again. Suddenly he was more serious and sad and Eve wondered what had caused this. Had she asked too many things? But no, Newt was patient and didn't mind her asking, so what was wrong? He was willing to tell her anything until the moment she mentioned his great knowledge about the maze, despite not belonging to the Runners.

_Wait a second…_

_Could it be?_

'You _were_ a Runner, weren't you?' she said softly.

'Just as you said it, I was. Back in my first year here. Lasted for a year only. And believe me, you don't want to learn what happened and I stopped'

'If you don't wanna talk about it, then of course I'll respect that' the brunette girl assured him. 'Just know that, if and whenever you want to talk to someone, I am here'

_Whatever occurred that made you stop being a Runner, it surely was a really bad thing if even the memory of it make you so solemn._

* * *

Eventually, Eve _did_ go to sleep, only for two hours, though. She and Newt had continued talking about everything except the negative aspects; he had informed her about the various jobs and had told her some stories of the Gladers, keeping the conversation pleasant and somewhat relaxed. When she woke up and had a quick breakfast, Newt led her to the gardens and she smiled at the sight of the blossoming nature.

'Usually the newcomers experience every job before it is decided what fits them best' Zart, the Keeper, willingly explained. 'Since you, though, are clearly sent for a reason and some are afraid that the whole place will fall to pieces—which is klunk, according to me humble opinion—you are free. And since Newt here has taken your adaption personally, better to stick with someone you know'

'Thanks, Zart' Eve nodded with a wide smile before noticing the two guys exchanging worried looks. 'Anything wrong?'

'Today is Thomas's first day as an official Runner' Newt revealed. 'And we're all kinda concerned as to what he will find'

'What makes you so sure that he _will_ find something?' Gally called as he was passing next to them. Eve shot him such an angry glare that, if looks could kill, the Keeper of the Builders would be already dead.

'Because the first time Thomas went into the maze, one, he survived, two, he killed a bloody Griever' Newt hissed. 'And the second time he found the possible key to our freedom. And all this without even be a Runner'

'Not to mention that today he and Minho will search the area where this key could be from' Zart added. 'I am positive they're gonna discover something useful today'

'Hope breeds eternal misery' Gally scoffed and turned to leave, but not before throwing a warning glance towards Eve. 'Don't try anything stupid, Greenie, I am watching you'

'There still remains the question who the stupid one here is, you shucking shuckface' Eve replied as he went away. What troubled her, though, was the fact that both Newt and Zart burst into loud laughter and Newt patted her on the back. 'What? What's so funny?'

'Excellent use of Glader terms!' Newt chuckled and gave her the thumbs up. 'Well done, girl!'

**A/N: Okay, everyone, that was it for now :D Hope you enjoyed it xx**


	5. If anything can go wrong, it will

**A/N: So, so sorry for not updating earlier, those shucking college exams had drained my entire energy! But I haven't forgotten you, dear fellow-Gladers, another chapter is here! Hope you will like it and a MASSIVE thank you to those who favorite and follow :)**

**Oblivion16- Thank you once again for your review, my friend :) Hope the update will not disappoint you.**

**Krisicake- Phew, you almost gave me a heart attack with the first half of the sentence :P So glad you enjoyed it :)**

**Aurora Marie Williams- First of all, thank you so much for the patience to review each chapter and noticing all the things you're mentioning :) And your offer is really kind, but I want to try and improve myself. Thank you for the tips, though, they were really useful and I will definitely take them into account. I am also glad you like the development of the plot so far :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner, only my OC**

Thomas was running with Minho through the maze, approaching Section 7 more and more. His heart was beating loudly due to his anxiety. Ever since Minho had stated that the Griever he had killed was probably from said section and his conclusion that they would check it today, he couldn't stop wondering if they would find anything and what it would be. He had realized by now that the maze—and the Creators by extension—protected its secrets and it would be difficult to solve them.

Difficult, yes. But not impossible.

Now that Newt had officially given him permission to be a Runner and try to discover what exactly was going on, he wouldn't back down. He owed it to him and the other Gladers—including the two girls who had suddenly joined them and had both to get used in the new environment and endure the nervousness many of the guys were feeling in their presence.

_"__Forgetting about you was the worst part."_

There it was again; Teresa's voice in his head. During his first conversation with her, he had completely forgotten to mention this odd way of communication between them, although it was another part that made them different from the others. He had other things to discuss with her at this point, but now he decided to ask her about it. On the other hand, he somehow liked that; they could talk freely, without being disturbed by anyone or giving Gally one more reason to blame them for everything; it was something only the two of them shared. At this thought, and at her words, a small smile appeared on his face and this didn't go unnoticed by Minho.

"Seriously, you are the first shank who's so happy to run into this shucking place," he commented. Thomas chuckled, continued running, but didn't reply, waiting for Teresa to continue.

_"__Tom, do you really not remember me?" _she wanted to know and her voice was very soft, unlike how she was when she woke up and freaked out.

_"__You mean…you remember _me_?" _Thomas returned the question and mentally slapped himself, for he uttered the last word squeaking, as if he wanted her answer to be positive. _"But you had said…Do you have fresh memories?"_

_"__Yes. No. Maybe. I can't explain it," _he clearly heard her sigh loudly, frustrated, trying to put her thoughts in order. _"I remember _remembering,_" _she went on after a small pause. _"Feelings. Emotions. Like I have all these shelves in my head, labeled for memories and faces, but they're empty. As if everything before this is just on the other side of a white curtain, including you."_

It was as if the walls had come closer and he instinctively picked up his face to not make Minho suspicious. He felt his cheeks burning; just how many things did he and this girl, this strange and simultaneously familiar girl, have in common? Although he couldn't recall her, except those weird dreams, he had the impression he _knew_ her, he could feel the connection between them.

_"__But how do you know me?"_ he wanted to know and turned around a corner. It was really hard, speaking in his head and paying attention to the route he and his fellow-Runner were following at the same time.

_"__I don't know," _Teresa admitted. _"Something about before we came to the maze. Something about us. It's mostly empty, like I said."_

_"__You know about the maze? Who told you? You only woke up yesterday."_

_"__Eve told me the basics while we were watching over Alby last night. I told her about you and I and she made a guess, that we were very close friends. Maybe she's right; it's all very confusing right now. But I _do _know you're my friend."_

Thomas's smile became wider. He didn't mean to, but the trust and faith she showed towards him was really valuable to him. Despite the friends he had made, Teresa was something like the person he needed to lean on; someone as different as him who tried to reach the end of the thread through her hazy memories.

"What's so funny, Greenie, and you're smiling as if you've found the solution to this shucking mystery?" Minho asked mockingly, although he didn't sound angry or as if he had noticed that the other guy was distracted.

"Oh, nothing. I…I just am optimistic and full of hope," Thomas answered.

_"__Honestly now, Tom?" _Teresa's voice was heard in his mind again.

_"__Yep. Oh, and I like how you call me Tom," _he confessed and he was sincere. This nickname sounded tender and made the assumption that the two of them had some sort of relationship in the past even stronger.

_"__That's your _name_, isn't it?" _the girl laughed and, if she was there, she would surely roll her eyes.

_"__Yeah, but everyone calls me Thomas. Tom makes me feel…like I'm at home or something. Even though I don't know what home _is,_" _Thomas smiled sadly. _"Are we messed up or what?"_

_"__Yeah, we're messed up. And I'm scared."_

_"__So am I, trust me."_

The understatement of the day, but Thomas preferred to keep this to himself. After all, after her gentle words and her explanations, telling her about the exact rate of his fear would be cruel and wouldn't help in anything.

_"__How do you talk inside my mind?" _he changed the subject to something he really wanted to know.

_"__No idea—I can just do it," _she said. _"You didn't tell anyone, did you? They'd think we're crazy."_

_"__Or they would think I'm just stressed out or something," _he shrugged. _"We need to figure things out. That weird note you had about you and Eve being the last persons to ever come here, the fact you can talk to me telepathically. Any ideas?"_

_"__Save your breath and quit asking," _Teresa replied intently. _"All I have are faint impressions—that you and I—and Eve, although she can't talk in our heads—were important, that we were _used _somehow. That we're smart. That we came here for a reason. I know I triggered the Ending, whatever that means," _she groaned in frustration. _"My memories are as useless as yours."_

Before Thomas could reply, he saw that Minho had stopped and he followed suit, breaking off his conversation with her. It was quite pleasant, he had to admit, but a look around reminded him where he was and why he had come here exactly.

"Welcome to Section 7, Greenie," Minho commented with a smug smile in an attempt to hide his own uneasiness.

* * *

"Eve, can you pass me the fertilizer, please?" Zart asked.

"Of course!" Eve replied willingly and handed him the needed basket with a wide smile. The sun and the work had given her pale cheeks a light pink color and she seemed much healthier now. She was a quick learner; only some useful tips by Newt and the Keeper and she could already do what they did.

_Perhaps my home before all this had a garden and I liked to look after it_, she thought, but pushed it away. Working was helping her keeping all disturbing assumptions at bay and that was exactly what she needed at the moment. Nothing on her gave the impression that she was here only for a day, that her arrival had triggered positive and negative reactions and that she hadn't slept much; she joked with the two guys and it was as if she lived here forever.

"Today you seem much better," Newt commented, as if he had read her mind, and gave her a happy smile. "That's the spirit!"

"Yeah, well, if I just sat and cursed my bad luck for coming here it wouldn't be useful, right?" Eve laughed. "Besides, trapped or not, it is really beautiful here; maybe I'll explore the place in the afternoon."

"I'm sure you'll like the woods. It's a really secluded area and you can have some moment of peace there," Zart told her.

"Oh, yeah, because in the main area you have anything but peace with all those shanks," Newt chuckled and smiled when he saw Eve laughing again. After going through a coma, her memory loss and the attempts to get used in everything, laughing was a pleasant change and it would do her good. Because he knew that sooner or later, they would face something confusing or negative again—it seemed to be the Creators' new policy.

Another laughter, although in the distance, could be heard clearly and, after checking, they saw Chuck giggling and Frypan patting him on the shoulder, smirking. Eve's face was marked by a tender smile; she liked Chuck and his childish innocence. He wasn't stupid, he knew exactly how serious this whole situation was, and yet he was always happy and trying to transfer this mood to all the others. And it worked on most: sad or not, there were very few who could actually stay solemn when the young Glader was around.

"That's good old Chuckie trying to bribe Frypan for some extra slice of bacon, I guess," Zart said as he cut some tomatoes. "How Frypan loses his I-will-kill-any-shank-who-will-demand-extra-food attitude with the little one is beyond me,"

"It doesn't seem very difficult," Eve responded, throwing her hair on her left shoulder to rub the sweat on the back of her neck. "I may not know Chuck very well, but it is as if nothing can be denied to him."

"That's not a surprise; he's the baby, after all, and many of us arrived here as kids, so we know how it feels like," Newt agreed. "You'll hear many Gladers complaining that he never takes anything seriously and he is getting on everyone's nerves with his constant jokes and pranks, but deep down, all consider him a little brother."

"Who knows? Maybe he _was_ in the past," the words slipped from Eve's lips before she realized it and it made the other two look surprised at her, so she quickly went on. "I mean, from the moment the Creators took our memories away, we can't be sure for anything. Perhaps some of us here are siblings or related in general…or were good friends before all this started."

Neither Newt nor Zart replied and the silence became almost suffocating. Eve felt slightly uncomfortable and guilty; surely she had uttered a great load of rubbish! It was a possibility, but a really far-fetched one, and, from the moment they couldn't remember a thing, it had no sense to make speculations about it either.

"Sorry, just forget that I spoke, I'll never mention—"

"No, don't apologize, it's not that you said something wrong," the second-in-command quickly spoke. "And it _is _a scenario, after all. It's just that no one has actually described it so far."

"Oh, I am honored to be the first one," Eve scoffed, still wondering why the shuck she had spoken before thinking, but her reaction drew a gentle chuckle from the guys.

"Don't feel bad about it; in these three years, you've no idea what crazy scenarios we've made, anything you can imagine," Zart consoled her. "Someone should really write a book about us."

"Maybe that's why the Creators sent us up here; to see how we'll manage to survive and write some weird book about us," Newt shrugged and returned to the vines he was cutting. "With those slintheads, it wouldn't be a surprise for me."

"Anyway, it was a nice break, but I'll go to Fry to give him the tomatoes so he can use them for whatever purpose he wants them," Zart informed them and stood up, basket in his hands. "I only hope we won't get poisoned."

"Hey, Frypan is actually a very decent cook," Eve replied and, truly, the soup the cook had prepared for her when she had gotten up from her coma was both very tasty and had worked wonders on her lost energy.

"You should smile and laugh more often," Newt told her when the Keeper left. "A frown doesn't suit you."

"I am not making any promises, but I'll give it a try. But, honestly now, the sun, the cheerful atmosphere, working...All this helped."

"Exactly! As I said to Thomas when he came here, you get lazy, you get sad. Start giving up. Plain and simple," Newt explained. "You focus in other things when you work."

"And you spend quality time with people who are in the same situation as you and, therefore, allies and friends," Eve added gently, to which Newt responded with a smile of gratitude and appreciation.

"Hey, you two!" Chuck's happy greeting startled them; the short boy had approached them and they hadn't even realized it. "Sorry to interrupt your cozy little chit-chat here, but I'm so bored right now."

"That's okay, Chuck, it's no problem," Eve assured him while Newt laughed. "So, is everything alright in your part?"

"Yep; and yourself? Have you made yourself at home? What about Teresa?"

"I have started to. And now you mentioned Teresa, I was wondering if I could take a break to go to the Homestead and check on her," Eve turned towards Newt. "Many things are still new for us and I want to see how she's copying."

"Sure, no problem. We'll have lunch in a few minutes anyway," Newt answered. "Go ahead; and take Chuck with you, will you? I don't want to endanger our plants."

"Hey!" Chuck exclaimed, pretending to sound insulted, but his wide smirk betrayed him.

"Just kidding, little one. You _can_ go with Eve, though, if you want."

"Of course I will go; after all, you are the one who is constantly with her and talking to her," Chuck winked at the older boy, who rolled his dark brown eyes. Eve giggled loudly and covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Ha-ha, I can barely breathe from laughing," Newt scoffed before speaking to the brunette female again. "Eve, when you are finished, can you and Teresa come here? There's something I want to show to you two."

"Sure. I'll see you later, then."

The young girl left, with Chuck right on her toes. Many of the Gladers greeted them happily on their way to the wooden hut. Eve responded with a polite nod and a smile, while Chuck was joking and teasing those who could tolerate his funny comments without feeling the urge to smack him. Some of the boys were chilling by the lake, whose calm water sparkled in the midday sunlight and gave a more peaceful impression to the scenery all around. Eve imagined how nice it would be to relax there, dive her feet into the water to cool them and talking with Newt, Chuck or Teresa—she felt more comfortable when she was with those three; she opened up more thanks to them. Lost as she was in her thoughts, she didn't notice that they were very close to the shores…until a great amount of water splashed right into her face.

"HA! Another marvelous performance by Chuck the Great in water-throwing!" the boy in question cheered.

"Oh, really?" Eve smirked mischievously as she tried to dry her hair and started chasing Chuck all the remaining way to the Homestead. Chuck laughed loudly as he ran as fast as he could and the two teenagers burst through the door, making Jeff drop and break a cup, Clint swear and Teresa leave a scared yelp.

"HEY! This is a place for people to _recover_, not for shanks who make more noise than five Grievers combined!" Clint yelled and helped Jeff to clean the shards of glass. "What the hell do you think you are doing and why are you all wet, Eve?"

"Sorry about the noise; _someone_ thought it would be funny to throw water at me." Eve glared at Chuck, who wore an I-am-innocent-and-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about expression. "Anyway, I just wanted to see how you are, Teresa. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm much better than yesterday," the black-haired girl replied with a smile. "And yourself?"

"Same here; only the first day seems to be particularly difficult. How…How is Alby?"

"He'll live. For whatever reason this syringe came here, it did its job. The danger is gone and it's a matter of time before he wakes up." Jeff informed her.

"That's good," the brunette sighed with relief. "Boys, would you mind if I borrowed Teresa for some time? Newt wants something to show to us."

"No problem, go ahead, Teresa."

"Thanks, guys," she smiled and followed Eve and Chuck outside—Eve still wet, something that didn't remain unnoticed by the blond second-in-command, who bit his lips in order to prevent himself from chuckling.

"What happened to you? Did you decide to take a bath?" he wanted to know as he handed her a towel, which she accepted with a glance of gratitude.

"Not exactly; Chuck here decided that the best way to make time pass is splash me with water," she explained and ruffled the little boy's curly hair, something that made him laugh. Newt finally lost it and startled laughing as well, while Teresa hid her mouth behind the back of her hand to cover her giggles. Eve wasn't insulted; on the contrary, she joined the cheerful laughter. After the confusion of the last day, it was a pleasant change to laugh with people she considered friends.

"Ah, don't worry, Chuck, I don't keep grudges." Eve made clear as she dried her hair and face. "Besides, it's such a hot day that a bit of cool water doesn't harm."

"Finally someone who appreciates this!" Chuck exclaimed and threw his hands triumphantly in the air, as if he had found his right in this unfair place.

"Anyway, you said you wanted to show something to me and Eve, Newt." Teresa reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, man; I'm really curious now." Eve commented and, judging from Chuck's wide grin, the twelve-year old already knew what this was about.

"That's right; after me, ladies." Newt gestured to the girls to follow him and he walked away from the gardens, carrying his knife with him.

"Em…Newt, how will your knife help us?" Eve hesitantly asked. "Because, if you want us to help Winston and the rest of the Slicers, I am warning you, I do not want to slaughter the poor animals."

"What? No, no, no, it has nothing to do with the Slicers, I promise. No, the reason I brought the knife with me is something else. Check this out!"

They had arrived at the open doors of the maze and Newt was pointing towards a spot on the wall, where names were carefully carved with large letters. Eve and Teresa took a closer look and noticed some familiar names: Alby's, Newt's, Chuck's, Thomas's. Shivers ran down Eve's spine as she stared awed at the various names. It seemed symbolic, reflecting the Gladers' willingness to stick together in an environment that seemed both safe and threatening. Teresa, on the other hand, gasped, having managed to connect the pieces.

"You want us to carve our own names, don't you?"

"You do?" Eve's green-brown eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course. Girls or not, from the moment you arrived here you are official members of this bloody society." Newt nodded with a serious and somehow formal expression. "You _are _Gladers, whether some shanks agree with this or not. Which means that we have to help you feel welcome and accepted here, so, feel free. The wall is yours."

Eve was the first who took the knife and looked at the wall for a few moments, trying to find a spot that would not only be empty, but also close to the name of someone she knew and trusted. Finally, she decided to place her name next to Newt's and Teresa carved her own name right next to hers. When they finished, they had a strange feeling; as if they were assigned for a special mission.

_A mission to solve everything and help the others escape._

"Thanks, Newt." Eve whispered and she didn't know what she was thanking him for. For being next to them, for treating them as human beings and not as abominations, for doing anything to help them adjust in the new circumstances...

"Don't mention it, Eve. Now, I have to return to the garden, but you can stay here, take a walk…do whatever you want." Newt told them. "Frypan will call us for lunch in a couple of minutes."

"Okay, Newt."

"So…the Runners are still in there, right?" Teresa asked when the boy left, staring nervously at the doors. Despite being outside and somewhat safe, both of them couldn't ignore the overwhelming side of the walls and the corridor that led who knows where. The idea that Thomas and Minho were investigating the huge building right now, as well as the thought of the Griever (Eve could still remember that horrible shriek of last night) was giving them a bad feeling.

"Yeah; they will return at sunset, that's when the doors close for the night," the brunette informed her, trying to keep her voice calm, because she could see that Teresa was obviously afraid. And she couldn't blame her; she had realized that Teresa and Thomas shared a special connection that had its roots in the past none could recall; memory loss or not, that bond had come to surface when the two of them had met. It was natural for Teresa to be worried about his safety.

"I am sure they will be okay, Teresa," she made an attempt to comfort her. "Minho is the Keeper of the Runners, meaning that he knows the dangers of the maze and can take care of himself. And Thomas seems very capable and brave, so he'll be alright."

"Yeah." Teresa nodded, although she wasn't fully convinced. The next second, though, she smiled and turned towards her. "Come on, let's join the others and go eat. Sitting here won't make time pass quicker."

* * *

Evening came soon, much sooner than Eve had estimated. After eating an appetizing meal made by Frypan and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere during lunch, most of the Gladers were awaiting the arrival of the two Runners. All of them were standing in front of the gates, except Teresa, who was looking after Alby in the Homestead according to Newt's order that someone should constantly watch over him. There was a loud rumbling coming from the maze, like concrete hitting concrete, and that was scaring them even more as they made assumptions about what could be happening. The sight of Minho and Thomas walking to them, bathed in sweat, breathing heavily, but alright, put an end to their agony.

"What the hell's going on out there?" was the first thing Newt asked them, as their appearance was definitely telling them that something serious had occurred.

"What the hell have you done now, Thomas?" Gally asked next and Eve sighed in frustration, rolling her eyes.

"If you stop accusing him, then he will be able to tell us!" she snapped at him.

"Shut it, both of you! We have other matters to think about than our personal arguments." Thomas interfered before the Builder could reply. "We found something, a new passage. We think it could be a way out."

They exchanged shocked looks, some gasped in disbelief and others smirked widely. Eve kept staring at the two boys, waiting impatiently for more explanations. Three years after all this started, only one day after she came here…and that was it? Had they reached the end, the exit from this trap or prison or whatever this place was?

"Really?" Newt smiled slightly and his voice held all the hope he was feeling at the moment; the hope of finally escaping, but also a hope he didn't dare to trust, out of fear that it would be crashed again.

"It's true." Minho confirmed what Thomas had said. "We opened a door, something I'd never seen before. I think it must be where the Grievers go during the day."

Eve ran a few steps, so she could walk right next to Minho, eyebrows narrowed. Of course, she should have guessed that things wouldn't be so easy. A possible way out, but with all the Grievers lurking at the corners.

_Great! Just great!_

"Wait, whoa, whoa. You're saying you found the Grievers' home?" Chuck, apparently, had the same thought. "And you want us to go in?"

"Yeah, because we will only go in if we want to be eaten; unless you have some trick to fool the Grievers so that they allow us free passage." Eve added and a cold shudder ran down her spine at the idea that they would confront a pack of those creatures.

"Their way in could be our way out, guys." Thomas said calmly, trying to convince them that it was the only solution.

"Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side!" Gally objected loudly and angrily. "The truth is, Thomas doesn't know what he has done, as usual!"

Eve stopped walking as Thomas turned around to face him. On the one hand, she had to admit that Gally had a point—not about Thomas not knowing what he was doing, because that was a load of rubbish, but about the permanent danger that was waiting for them. On the other hand, though, she reminisced her conversation with Newt last night, about what they would confront at the other side and the conclusion that they _had_ to go out of here. She locked eyes with him and she could see the hope and the despair that was hiding in his eyes and she reminded herself, for one more time, that Newt was here since the very beginning. It was the first time he truly had something to rely on and she had no doubt that he would rather face all dangers in order to reach the exit than staying here.

_It might be worth the risk…Actually, scratch that, it _is _worth the risk!_

"Yeah, at least I did _something_, Gally!" Thomas's furious voice brought her back to reality. "I mean, what have _you_ done? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time?"

"Let me tell you something, Greenie. You've been here three days, alright? I've been here three years!"

"Exactly!" Eve supported Thomas. "And you want to stay here? Don't you want to see what's out there? To decide for yourself and not have those bloody Creators deciding for you?"

"Not to mention that you've been here three years and you're still here, Gally!" Thomas added. "What does that tell you? Maybe you should start doing things a little differently!"

"Maybe you should be in charge, what about that?"

"Hey!" Teresa's voice joined the quarrel and they fell silent as everyone looked at her. "It's Alby! He's awake."

* * *

Having forgotten their disagreement, Thomas, Gally and Eve, together with Minho, Frypan and Newt, went with Teresa to the Homestead. Alby was sitting on the edge of his bed, exhausted and, Eve would say, haunted by something. She remembered what they had told her about the Changing; it drove you crazy and brought up memories from your past life; memories that, according to how upset Alby was, weren't very happy.

"Has he said anything?" Minho wanted to know.

"No."

"Alby…" Newt said quietly as he kneeled next to him and the others stood around his bed, not knowing how to approach him best. "Alby, are you alright?"

He didn't answer, as if he hadn't heard him or as if the answer was too painful for him. Eve saw Thomas going closer to the bed and she wanted to stop him; after all, Alby had almost suffocated Thomas yesterday, for reasons still unknown to everyone. Thomas, though, smiled comfortingly towards her before following Newt's example and kneeling in front of the dark-skinned leader.

"Hey, Alby," his voice was as calm as Newt's, to not disturb the Glader in question. "Alby, we might have just found a way out of the maze. Do you hear me? We could be getting out of here."

"We can't." Alby shook his head and his voice trembled intently, his eyes filling with tears. "We can't leave."

"Of course we can, man." Eve replied, forcing a small smile. "We'll get out of here and we'll sort everything out."

"They won't let us."

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked concerned.

"I remember."

"What do you remember?"

"You."

_What? What is it with everyone remembering Thomas_? Eve thought as she threw a warning look at Gally, telling him silently to keep his mouth shut. Right now, two things were important: Alby's health and the possibility to finally leave the Glade. Speculations and accusations could wait for later…no matter what "later" would bring to them.

"You were always their favorite, Thomas." Alby went on. "Always."

Suddenly, voices were heard from the outside and someone was yelling. They glanced briefly at the door, wondering what could be wrong and not being sure what to do: stay here with Alby or going outside to check the situation. Alby, though, hadn't finished and his words made them focus on him again.

"Why did you do this? Why did you come here?" he asked and a single tear ran down his cheek.

At that moment, the voices outside grew louder and they took their decision: Newt and Thomas stood up and all of them went outside. The boys were all running towards one direction, holding torches and speaking terrified with each other, but Eve couldn't catch a word because of everyone talking together.

"Hey, Winston, what's going on?" Thomas addressed the Keeper of the Slicers, who had just come next to them.

"It's the doors. They aren't closing."

And right then did Eve realize that the word "shucked" didn't even start to describe the situation. Because she wasn't so naïve to think that the open doors were the only problem.

_Brace yourselves; it seems we will have visitors!_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, everyone, that was it for now! Hope you liked it and I can not wait for your reviews :) The next chapter will be up ASAP  
**


	6. Who let the Grievers out?

**A/N: Heeyyy, guys :) Soo sorry for not updating so long. Here we are again, though, next chapter of My life-line is here :) I added some scenes, like Thomas saving Teresa for instance, hope you'll like the chapter. A big thank you to those who read, review, follow and favorite and, of course, Oblivion16, for the encouragement, the ideas and the reviewings of all the teasers.**

**Aurora Marie Williams- Thank you so much, my friend, your reviews are really helpful :) I added the things you suggested to Chapter 5 and I tried to include them in the update too :D**

**HarleyHolmes- Next update is here :) Have fun reading it :)**

**Oblivion16- For once more, thank you very much, my friend :D I hope I'll not disappoint you :)**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own TMR, all rights belong to James Dashner**

They ran towards the doors of the maze, the rest of the Gladers also heading there in small groups and holding torches to break the darkness that started to cover the valley. The sight of the open gate—a comforting one during the day, being the sign that the Runners were out there, searching for an exit—was threatening and Eve felt cold shudders running down her spine as she stared into the corridor and the walls, which were covered in vines. She imagined the Creators watching them right now and probably laughing at them and, thank God, anger started boiling inside her, balancing the fear. Apparently, her theory about the chained reactions and events was true: since Thomas and Minho had found the key to their escape, the Creators had done something in return, destroying the only thing that protected the Glade from the dangers of the night.

She felt a hand on her arm, someone pushed her gently and she saw Newt making way between the boys to stand between her and Thomas at the front, looking at this new change of things with his usual frown, without showing his emotions; he could be freaking out mentally, yet he still didn't express anything. Eve wondered how exactly he managed this; she was practically on the verge of yelling at the others to move their feet and protect themselves from what was about to happen.

Suddenly, a creepy noise was heard that made all of them gasp and some even closed their ears. The next second, birds crossed the sky and the Gladers saw with terror that the walls of the maze were being separated like extra doors in every side of the Glade. Some of the guys walked towards the woods to approach them and have a closer look, trying to ignore their fear.

"Okay, Chuck," Thomas sighed and turned to the younger boy, patting him comfortingly on the shoulder "go to the Council Hall and start barricading the doors."

"Winston, you go with him." Newt ordered, knowing that Chuck could use some help and someone to give him courage.

"Got it," the Keeper of the Slicers nodded and the two boys quickly left.

"Get the others. Tell them to go to the forest. Go hide, now!" Gally called out to some others, who hasted to do as he told them, hoping that the thick trees would give them at least a temporary protection.

"Minho," Thomas said to his fellow-Runner "I want you to grab every weapon you can find. I'll meet you at Council Hall."

"Let's go." Minho said to Frypan and another Glader, who followed him to assist him, since many things could be categorized as 'weapons'.

"Teresa, you and I are gonna go get Alby, alright?" Thomas continued advising and Teresa nodded.

Eve couldn't help but be impressed by how calm and composed Thomas was, despite the obvious danger that was threatening them. She just wanted to ask Thomas if he wanted her to do something specific or if she could go and help the others, but a noise that made her blood freeze prevented her from doing so: terrified yells and shrieks that sounded very similar to the one she had heard yesterday night while she was talking with Newt. Instinctively, Eve's hand grabbed Newt's one, as if trying to find something to lean on in the mess. Newt smiled gently and briefly squeezed her hand, but the turmoil that followed didn't leave much time for comforting gestures. The boys who had run in the forest to seek shelter were now running towards them, when another shriek was heard, this time coming from the main gate of the maze. Everyone looked at the corridor and, at the corner far away, they saw the shadow of a huge creature.

"Look who came by for a visit." Eve scoffed, making Gally throw her a furious glance. Sarcasm was her only defense right now, though; much more preferable than having a panic attack.

"Alright, everybody hide!" Thomas yelled and he didn't need to say this twice: everyone started running in different directions, yelling towards others to hide too. Only Teresa stood there as if petrified, staring shocked at the monster, which was approaching with every second that was passing.

"Teresa!" Thomas exclaimed and grabbed her sleeve, pulling her until she finally realized what was happening and ran along with him.

"Eve, you go with Thomas and Teresa, okay? I need to check on the others!" Newt pushed her slightly towards the other two. "Stay safe, I'll see you later!"

"Be careful, Newt!" Eve called out to him as she was already leaving, sprinting to reach Thomas, Teresa, Zart and a few other Gladers who had joined them. At one point, her curiosity defeated her and she turned around to see what exactly those Grievers were; only that the sight made her wish she had stayed in the darkness.

The monstrous creation was much bigger than them and seemed like a combination of machine, slug and scorpion, with stings at the ends of its fangs—Eve presumed that these were causing the Changing—a sharp tail and steel that gave it more protection. Eve left a hissed curse and turned in front of her again, rushing to the wheat field and hiding between the plants, hoping that they would gain a few valuable seconds.

"Stay down!" Thomas commanded as they fell on the ground.

They could hear noises from afar, screams and the Griever over them groaning, but they stayed silent, trying to control even the sound of their breaths. Eve saw that her hands were trembling lightly and she forced them to stop, reminding herself that the last thing she needed was panic. It wouldn't help neither her nor the others; now she had to try and stay brave if she wanted to be useful and survive the next minutes.

_I hope you're entertaining yourselves while watching us risking our lives, you shuck Creators._

The silence around them was deafening: so cold, so _dangerous._ In a sudden, the groan was heard again, this time right over their heads, followed by a huge fang that grabbed the Keeper of the Gardens, who screamed in terror.

"Oh hell no!" Eve couldn't help but yell and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Zart!" Thomas shouted, but to no avail, as the Griever carried the boy away.

As if this was what they were waiting for, the rest of them jumped on their feet and continued their crazy running, with Zart's pleads for help still echoing in their heads. Eve hated this and felt guilty for abandoning him; she wanted to run and try to save him, but she was no fool and knew that the only thing she would manage would be her own death.

"Go, get to the village!"

The adrenaline and fear seemed to give their legs wings, because they crossed the field in no time, jumping to cover more distance and looking behind them to make sure that nothing would jump on them out of the blue. Meanwhile, they were hearing and seeing the others—those who hadn't fallen prey to the Grievers at least—running around, trying to find a secure place to hide, when a metal noise made them freeze temporarily.

"What's that?" Teresa stuttered.

"It's nothing, it was the door of the Box, obviously some went to hide there!" Thomas gave the answer. "Go, go, go!"

"_Where_? It's not like we can go anywhere that can truly save us!" Eve yelled to be heard between the hell that had broken loose. "Shall we hide in the Box too?"

"Too far away." Thomas panted as they went on.

"Then what about the Homestead?" Eve brought up another point and moved left to avoid the collision with someone—in the light of the torches, she couldn't see who. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to Alby?"

"Man, Eve, you're right! Come on, come on!"

They made it to the Homestead in a few seconds. Alby was on his feet, with the two Med-jacks helping him stand because he was still very weak. Apparently they hadn't realized what exactly was going on, for they stared at them worried.

"Alby!"

"Are you okay?"

"What's going on?" Alby asked urgently instead of answering, with Clint and Jeff watching at the chaos on the background with open mouths.

"What we didn't want to happen." Eve said, placing her palms on her knees to control her breathing, which was coming out heavy and uneven after all this running.

"They're here." Thomas elaborated.

"Grievers?" Jeff gasped in horror, unable to believe what he had heard—Grievers in the Glade was the worst scenario they could ever imagine.

"Seems that the Creators didn't like the fact that we've found a way to escape." Eve spoke again, avoiding to name specifically Thomas; many here blamed him already, she didn't want to give them another reason.

A yell made them all turn and they saw a boy being chased and killed by a Griever, which knocked down a torch in the process, sending sparks everywhere. The small group retreated in the back of the Homestead, desperately trying to figure a plan.

"Thomas, what do we do?" Jeff whispered.

Before he could answer, the screams of another Glader nearby distracted them as a Griever pulled him away and the sparks and flames from the torches falling down increased in number. The Glade, which Eve had considered beautiful, reminded nothing of the place they had known for three years. Now it had become a battlefield and Eve thought that this battle was a battle between them and the Creators, between those who were trapped and those who had trapped them in the first place.

"Everybody, run, run, run."

"Jeff, come on, go, go, go." Thomas pushed the Med-jack and they resumed their running, but then a wooden hut right next to the Homestead was demolished because of another horrible creature that bared its large teeth that could kill them in an instant and pointed a sharp end towards them.

"How the hell do we kill those shucks?" Eve cried out in despair; didn't those machines have a weak point or something?

As if answering to her question, Teresa grabbed a jar with fire that was next to her and threw it right on the Griever. It was caught in the flames immediately and the shrieks it left would haunt their dreams for many nights. At that moment, though, they saw it as the perfect chance to escape.

"Good job, Teresa." Thomas complimented the black-haired girl, patting her on the back to show his approval.

It seemed, though, that luck wasn't on their side, because many more Grievers were chasing them. In the darkness, Eve could see the shades of the other boys running towards the same direction, to the small area in front of the maze that had caused them so much trouble. Some who were brave enough stayed behind to fight the Grievers, while others were looking for new shelters.

"Keep moving!" Thomas yelled and turned around, only to see a Griever a few feet away from him. "Oh, shit."

A _thud_ made Eve turn around and she saw Alby falling down. Without hesitating, she and Thomas ran to his aid and helped him standing up at the right moment, before the umpteenth monster showed up. Eve quickly pushed Alby behind them, although she knew that the leader would most likely want to help, despite not being in the condition to do so. Just as it approached them, it spread a long fang out, almost wrapping it around Teresa, who was the closest one to it; and it would succeed if Thomas hadn't rushed like the wind, pushing her away and saving her from death literally the last second. Eve left a sigh of relief and Thomas held the other girl close to him, in an one-armed embrace, wanting to protect her. At this moment, the Griever was speared through and through with ropes and a huge burden was lifted from Eve's heart when she saw their rescuers: Newt, Minho, Frypan and Winston. As the Griever fought to get rid off the ropes, they ran away from it, towards the Council Hall, where Chuck was waiting for them.

"Over here, come on!" the twelve-year old gestured towards them to hurry up.

They rushed in, helping Alby to get inside, climbing on the seats and closing the door just in the Griever's face. Eve rubbed her hands together and looked around, happy to see everyone safe; upset, exhausted, but alive and safe. Chuck was trembling and she gave him a brief hug and a smile, trying to give him courage, although both of them knew that the odds weren't in their favor. She jumped and almost left a yelp that would betray them when she felt a gentle caress on her harm, but relaxed when she saw that it was only Newt, who gave her a smile of relief that she was alright.

They anxiously listened to the Griever trying to break in, smashing wood with its fangs, walking around and even on the roof.

"Careful." Teresa said softly.

"Stay back, guys." Newt advised them as the noises became louder and heavy steps could be heard on the roof.

Dust rained from the ceiling and they stared suspiciously at it. Eve wondered how much longer the wood of the roof would endure under the Griever's weight. She had just made that thought, when the Griever managed to create a hole in the roof, large enough to place one of its spiked legs through it and destroy a wooden pillar. Everyone gasped as they backed down.

"Is everyone alright?" Newt asked all around.

"The right question would be 'Is everyone alive?', Newt." Eve told him and her voice had nothing of her usual sarcasm. She believed that it would be a miracle if at least half of the Gladers would survive to see the next day.

"Watch out!" some shouted as the Griever continued eating at the wood. Soon it would be able to enter the Council Hall completely and the problem was that they were running out of space.

In a sudden, Eve heard Thomas calling Chuck's name and when she turned her heart almost stopped. A fang was very close to the little boy and only a few seconds later it had taken him and wanted to pull it out of the roof. Chuck's terrified cries woke something in her and she rushed forward; she wouldn't let that ugly thing take Chuck too.

_Only over my dead body._

Many followed suit, grabbing Chuck's hands, arms and body, pulling with all their strength to rescue him. The Griever was a tough opponent, but they weren't giving up either; they'd rather die together than letting another one die; especially this innocent boy who was like sunshine and always smiling.

"Chuck, don't let go!" Thomas cried out.

"No shit." he scoffed.

"Pull!"

"Don't let him go!"

"Don't worry, Chuckie, we're here, that beast won't take you!" Eve yelled.

And then there were sparks again as the Griever's sting fell on the ground with a loud noise. After the first shock, they saw that it was Alby, who was hitting the metal fang with his weapon as the others continued pulling. Eventually, they managed to free Chuck from the death grip and they piled on the floor, one next to the other or on top of the other in some cases, as Alby continued his fight. Eve stared at him with wide eyes: he was still under the influence of the syringe, he was confused and suffering because of what he had seen during the Changing, and yet he had found his old strength to save the little one. The fang retreated and they could hear the Griever's groan. Chuck was coughing like crazy and his friends knelt down next to him, Eve bringing him into her hug again and Thomas placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Chuck, are you okay?" he wanted to know.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

'Don't be afraid, it's over. You're okay." Eve whispered soothingly, rocking him back and forth. Chuck's eyes, though, focused on his savior, who still had a furious expression.

"Thanks, Alby."

Alby didn't answer, just looked at them, but Thomas's terrified yell reminded them that the night wasn't over yet.

"Alby! Watch out!"

The long fang reappeared, this time grasping the dark-skinned Glader and lifting him up. Thomas immediately came to his aid, followed by the others' voices, and grabbed Alby's shirt to prevent the Griever from killing him. But there was something strange on Alby: a strange fierceness and determination they were seeing for the first time.

"Thomas," Alby said with great effort "get them out!"

And with that he freed himself from Thomas's grip, letting the Griever to carry him away. Everyone started screaming in fear and pain and Thomas rushed towards the door, wanting to at least try to save him, just like Alby had saved all of them.

"No, Thomas, no!"

"Thomas, wait!"

When they followed him outside, though, they met a horrible sight. The Grievers had disappeared, but the aftermath of the attack was still there: a few cries in the distance, fire everywhere, destroyed huts. Eve shook her head and the previous anger became wild furiousness, so wild she didn't know how she was able to suppress it. For one more time, the Creators had proven that they were capable of anything; even killing the same people they sent up here for who knows what reason. For the first time since she came here, Eve considered herself nothing more than a victim; an experiment.

"Where is everybody?" Jeff asked, but no one answered him, because the answer was quite obvious. Eve believed that her previous assumption, that it would be a miracle if half of them survived, was too optimistic.

"Who's that over there?"

Shades were approaching them through the smoke that glowed orange in the light of the torches, shades that became forms as they came near. Eve left a frustrated groan, because no one else than Gally was leading the group…and he didn't seem very happy.

"Attack Number 2 is coming." she hissed, preparing herself for what was about to happen.

Gally walked with quick, large steps that marked his anger straight towards Thomas. Before the latter could say anything else except his name, the Keeper of the Builders had punched him hard on the face. Thomas fell down as his companions held Gally back, who was shrieking like crazy.

"This is all you, Thomas!"

"Are you totally nuts?" Eve screamed right into his face. "What do you think you—"

She couldn't finish her sentence, though. Gally, who had gotten his one arm free, slapped her so hard across the face, that she almost fell down herself. Instead, she looked at him with despise, ignoring the stinging pain on her cheek; she would deal with this later.

"Let me say it otherwise: you _are_ totally nuts." she spat.

"You stay out of this, you're as much responsible as he is, playing all good!" Gally shouted, but Newt packing him from the collar prevented him from continuing.

"Leave her the shuck alone, she has nothing to do with all this, you bloody piece of klunk!" he hissed. "Slap her once more and I swear, you're gonna wish the Grievers had eaten you!"

"Look around!"

"Back off, Gally!" Frypan defended his friends. "It's neither Thomas nor Eve's fault!"

"You heard what Alby said." Gally insisted. "He's one of them!"

"One of who?"

"He's one of them and they sent him here to destroy everything and now he has!"

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, you've heard the joke of the day." Eve laughed sarcastically, but regretted it at once; the movement made the pain on her cheek even worse. As Gally continued disagreeing with everyone, Chuck came close to her and Eve gasped when she saw the unshed tears in his eyes.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry, Chuck, I'm fine."

"Look around, Thomas!" Gally's rambling made them focus again. "Look around! This is your fault!"

"Back off, Gally! It's not Thomas's fault!" the others repeated, in a failed attempt to reason with him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Calm down!"

"They sent him here and now he's destroyed everything that we've built! Or do you think it's a coincidence that they sent the girls right after he appeared here?"

"Oh, please, hold me back before I beat the shuck out of him for being such a shucking idiot!" Eve hid her face in her hands, wondering how close-minded someone could be.

"Do that, Eve, please, we'll owe you a favor!" Minho told her.

While they were arguing with the irritable Builder, no one actually paid attention to Thomas and Teresa, who were standing behind them. Teresa and Chuck's terrified exclamations, though, startled them and they saw Thomas falling on the ground, the Griever's sting in his hand. They realized at once what he had done and they all knelt by his side, mumbling all together.

"Chuck, get the other syringe." Teresa said and he ran to fetch it as fast as possible, although they were sure they wouldn't stop the beginning of the Changing.

"It's okay, mate, we're here." Newt shook him by the shoulder.

During all this mess, they didn't notice Gally walking away.

**A/N: Okay, everyone, another chapter has come to an end :) Hope you liked it. Next chapter will be up ASAP.**


	7. Memories

**A/N: I know I deserve to get banished in the maze for not updating for so long, but I was waiting for the Scorch Trials trailer to be released! Now that the trailer is here (and is EPIC), the new chapter is also here and extra long, as a way for me to make it up to you ;) Thomas remembers, we have some Newt/Eve bonding and we also learn more about why WICKED sent Eve in the first place, hope you enjoy :) And, of course, special thanks to Oblivion16, you're a genius, my friend, honestly!**

**Aurora Marie Williams: No, you are the gold here, my friend :) Thank you so much for reviewing, I hope you'll like the update too.**

**Oblivion16: Well, I wouldn't get better without your advice, so the credit is also yours :D **

**Olivia: OMG, your review is wonderful, thank you so much, you flatter me :D I'm really glad you like Eve and the way things proceed with Newt...yeah, slow and sweet is my way too :) And, please, your reviews are allowed to be as long as you wish :)**

**NewtnTMR: Love your username, love your profile pic and thanks a lot for reviewing :D Hope you'll like the new chapter too.**

**The title taken from the song "Memories" by Within Temptation.**

** Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own TMR, James Dashner does and drives us all crazy!**

After seeing Thomas collapsing and being tormented by seizures due to the Changing, Eve had the impression that everything was occurring within seconds. She could vaguely see Chuck leaving and returning a few minutes later with quick steps and a few tears running down his face, holding the syringe with the medicine that would save the Runner. Teresa was kneeling next to him, holding his hand in hers and whispering words of comfort; Frypan said he would go to check the exact magnitude of the damage the Grievers had caused; Chuck was staring at Thomas with an expression filled with guilt that he couldn't help him more; and Minho and Newt were giving—or yelling in Minho's case—commands to the other Gladers in the distance, although said Gladers didn't seem very willing to obey them and were looking at the two boys as if it was their fault that this place was destroyed. Eve felt the first hints of panic rushing through her body; she felt as if she couldn't breathe properly and that she would pass out at any second.

_No, no, you idiot, not now!_ she thought and tried to take a few deep breaths, swallowing and balling her hands into tight fists. _Don't show any emotions; right now you have to stay strong and bloody help the others!_

"We need to remove Thomas from here, take him somewhere safe if possible," she stated, managing to keep her voice relatively calm and making everyone look at her. "He needs to sleep and recover and, seriously, with Gally being so furious, I don't wanna risk a second encounter with him, one was more than enough."

"The pit!" Minho decided, focusing on his friends. "It's secure and will give this idiot the space he needs before I beat him for scaring the hell out of us!"

"He said he needed to remember." Teresa whispered softly, her blue eyes never leaving Thomas as she started caressing his hand with slow and gentle moves. "I think that…after hearing Alby saying that he saw him…and after Gally's attack…it was too much for him."

"Yeah, well, at least let's hope it's worth the risk and the pain he went through." Newt hissed and, together with Minho, lifted the unconscious boy to take him to the pit. Thomas had quieted down after being injected with the syringe, therefore it was easy to carry him.

"He'll remember…the life before…You think this whole mystery will be solved?" Chuck wondered, walking next to Eve, who left a loud sigh. Chuck was twelve years old, he shouldn't have all these burdens, but she decided to answer him honestly. Better to be told the truth and be prepared than being under false impressions and having false hopes; a conclusion coming from real life, since the Glade, the maze, their lives here were consisting of lies created by their captors.

"Even if it _is_ solved, Chuckie, I doubt that we'll like the answer. But first things first: let's take care of Thomas, let him rest, see the true aftermath of tonight's bloodbath and then we'll see what we're gonna do."

At that moment, though, she had to stop talking, because a slight pain on her cheek reminded her that the new scars of the battle weren't just emotional, but physical as well. She didn't have anything to see her reflection, but she was sure that a bruise had been formed on the cheek Gally had slapped in his fury. The act itself, though, hadn't surprised her; Gally was a slinthead and, besides, in the list of the things that had caused her the biggest pain, getting slapped didn't even rank in the top ten.

They passed the messed up scenery that was causing them shivers, surrounded as they were by torches, destroyed huts and smoke, combined with the fact that they didn't see the other surviving Gladers. They had expected them to run up and down in a rush, trying to mend the huge damages and demanding explanations and orders from them, but nothing like that happened. Eve was worried that Gally's sudden disappearance when Thomas had stung himself had anything to do with this or if she had started to imagine conspiracies everywhere and she was a step before going mental.

_Of course you're seeing conspiracies everywhere, this whole damn place is a conspiracy itself!_

"There you go, man." Minho mumbled as they carefully lied Thomas down inside the Slammer. "And now what?"

"Now we wait, I guess…" Eve said, although she was too restless to actually pay attention to what her comrades were saying. "Sorry, guys, but I can't just be like this, I need to do something! I'll go and see if the others need help."

"Don't bother, everything's a bloody mess right now; and don't forget that Gally's not the only one who's accusing Thomas, you and Teresa for everything that's happening here." Newt told her and his eyes narrowed as he looked closely at her; Eve was pale anyway, but right now she looked like a corpse, she was turning her head frantically around and all in all she was giving the impression that she wanted to burst out her nerves on something or someone. Even though, Newt knew that she'd rather encounter the Grievers than actually admit it, so he didn't directly comment it. "How about we wait 'till morning, when Thomas here will feel better and then decide—"

"I can't! I know that we're innocent, Newt, and there's no way in hell I will hide because of Gally!" the brunette interrupted him intently. "I'll just go and see if anything's been saved, avoiding conversations as much as I can, okay?"

Newt sighed, but realized that he couldn't make her change her mind, and so he nodded, telling her only to be careful. Eve smiled comfortingly, patted Chuck on the shoulder and took her leave, trying to suppress the sickness she felt as she took in the dreadful disasters. Her first stop was, of course, the Homestead, the former place of recovery that had calmed her herself when she first woke up in the Glade, an upset teenager with memory loss. Now, though, it was creepy and silent, without the usual ramblings of Clint and Jeff tending to the patients. The two Med-jacks, on the other hand, were searching thoroughly through the debris to see if there was any medicine they could still use.

"Any luck?"

At the sound of her voice echoing in the lingering silence, they stopped what they were doing and turned towards her with mixed feelings; Jeff with cautiousness and Clint with sadness. Eve tried to stay composed; if they were considering her, Thomas and Newt responsible, she had to forget her spontaneous self for the moment and allow them to speak first.

"Eve…"

"Well…"

"Hey, I won't harm you or something, guys. Just wanted to see if there's anything we can do to help, I'm not a Griever."

"Yeah, but some think that the Grievers came here because of you and Thomas…and, to be honest, the changes and everything started from the moment Thomas arrived." Clint answered, but lowered his head, as if these words were unpleasant for him.

"Yes, they started. And they started because Thomas wanted to learn the entire truth and lead us to freedom! Because no matter what Gally says, this isn't _home_, it's _prison_!" Eve stated and placed her hands on her hips. "Of course I didn't want the Grievers to eliminate almost the entire Glade and of course I feel guilty, but do you want to know something? It's much better to risk your life for your freedom than living in permanent captivity!"

"Say that to Alby and all those who were killed tonight." Jeff muttered and went back to collecting whatever was left of their supplies.

"Even if you're right, Eve, we were captive, but we were also safe." Clint added. "Now the doors of the maze are open, we'll be under the threat of the Grievers non-stop and nothing is certain anymore. And who tells us what is out there, in the world you want to explore so much?"

"I'm willing to give everything to find that out; even if it's hell, it will be my choice!"

"_Your_ choice, not _ours_. Eve, you've been here two days, but we've been here for three years and, trust me, we were secure."

"This conversation isn't leading us anywhere; each of us has their own opinion," the dark-skinned Med-jack interfered. "Eve, can we help you in anything?"

"…No, it's obvious that my presence here is unwanted…I'll just leave you."

Normally, Eve wouldn't back down that easily and if she had Gally in front of her, the tones would reach indescribable volumes. But it was Clint and Jeff, who had helped her when she had woken up and were good-hearted. After all, she couldn't force them to see things from her own point of view; and so she gave them a small smile and went back to the Slammer. Teresa was with Thomas inside, watching him carefully, while Minho and Chuck were sitting in front of the door and talking in hushed voices and Newt was at a small distance, staring into nothing. Eve's gaze lingered on the latter for a few seconds, but then she decided to go and see how Thomas was before talking to him.

"Nothing came out of your visit, eh?" Minho wanted to know just as she wanted to open the wooden door.

"No, I saw Clint and Jeff…they basically told me that it's our fault things took this turn…Can't say I blame them."

"So what happens now? Even when Thomas feels better, it's really difficult for us now." Chuck commented and covered his mouth with his hand to hide his yawn.

"I think it's better if we discuss this tomorrow, now we're shucking wrecks and not in the position to think clearly."

"Minho's right." Eve agreed. "But now, Chuck, try and get some sleep, you need to rest after tonight and a hard day is waiting for us. You'll need your strength. And don't worry about nightmares, we'll be here."

She smiled at him and opened the door leading to the pit. Kneeling next to Teresa, she noticed the girl's tired eyes that didn't leave Thomas for a single second. He seemed so calm from the outside, so peaceful, as if he was having a pleasant dream…although, at this moment, Thomas was going through hell in his blurred mind that finally created complete visions and memories, which were anything but pleasant.

"He's gonna be okay." Eve said to comfort Teresa and to hear it herself. "He's strong and stubborn, he won't give up easily."

"Yeah, I know." Teresa nodded, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. "It's just that…From the moment I came here we were trying to figure out why all this is happening…And I don't have specific memories about him, but I _know_ that we're somehow connected…And…We can communicate through our thoughts."

If Eve was drinking at the moment, she would definitely choke. Her eyes widened in shock and she thought she hadn't heard well. Teresa's seriousness, on the other hand, was proof enough that she was telling the truth, not to mention that the other girl would never lie about this, not after all these tragedies.

"Come again?" she uttered nevertheless.

"Yeah…Even during my coma, I was speaking to him in my mind. I can't explain it, everything is so confusing…But from the moment I saw him I felt…safe, as if I was comfortable around him even before coming up here."

_Okay, what the actual hell is going here, for shuck's sake?_

"Listen, right now everything is intense and we have no idea what will happen in the next hours! We'll try to calm down, Thomas will wake up, we're gonna face Mr. Shuck—err, I mean Gally—and then we'll try to get the heck out of here!" Eve, in an attempt to give Teresa courage, suppressed her confusion and the anger that was tormenting her. "No offense, but you look awful, how about you go to sleep and I watch over our reckless Runner here? The minute something happens I'm gonna wake you."

"Thanks, Eve, but I'll be fine. Besides, I think there's another Glader who needs you more now." Teresa commented with the hint of a smile and nodded with her head towards the direction Newt was sitting. Eve's face was painted in a light shade of pink, but Teresa was right: Newt, who was serious and sensitive anyway, didn't seem well and she wanted to give him as much comfort as possible. "Come on, go to him, I'll be fine."

"Okay. But remember, if anything's wrong, don't hesitate."

"Sure thing, Eve."

Eve closed the door of the pit quietly and, after throwing a final glance towards the unconscious Thomas and Teresa, who continued watching over him faithfully, went to sit next to Newt. The blond teenager was hugging his knees as if he was cold, looking into nothing; surely the events of the night were added to his already-existent worries and troubles. How ironic, only yesterday they had been like this, chatting during the whole night. Now they were both worn out, grieving for the killed Gladers and worried about what the next day would bring. Eve realized, with a gasp, that Newt had another reason to be like this: Alby, the first Glader, their brave leader who had sacrificed himself to help others and Newt's friend. She sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, happy when he didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry about Alby," she whispered without looking at him. "I didn't know him at all, but, from what you've told me, I'm sure he was a great guy."

"He died just like he lived: protecting us, wanting to keep us safe and well." Newt replied; this was basically his only consolation for Alby's death. "And since he pleaded Thomas to get us out, it means that he _did_ trust him in the end…"

"I'm sure that Thomas will fulfill his wish, there's nothing that can stop him, especially not after this."

"That goes for me too! Right now, the only thing I want is to escape as soon as possible so that this bloody farce-prison-experiment-whatever-the-hell-it-is comes finally to an end!" Newt exclaimed. He was ashamed he was acting like that in front of Eve, but he sensed that she would understand, offer him her strength and not laugh at him for being a crybaby. Seeing that the bruise Gally had caused her had darkened, he carefully touched it with a finger. Eve hissed softly, but his touch was kind and she didn't mind, on the contrary, she kinda liked it.

"Does it hurt much?" Newt wanted to know concerned.

"Nah, it's not as bad as it looks," she assured him. "Don't be worried about it, consider it as a sign that I fought for our rights as human beings. Oh, believe me, Newt, all this _will _come to an end!" Eve told him with a determination that was frightening even for her. "I don't care what will happen, but I swear that this nightmare will end!"

They didn't know, though, or, rather, they couldn't imagine, what a nightmare Thomas was facing at the moment, unable to wake up until the serum cured the Griever poison that was still in his body, trapped in memories he would surely want to forget again.

* * *

_Lights…_

_Pipes…Was he at a corridor or something?_

_A door with the inscription EXIT over it…_

_Water again, the temporary impression that he was drowning…_

_And the room that reminded him of a lab, the same room he had seen before, with the computers…The blond woman standing in the middle…_

_A little boy staring intently at a screen, which pictured grass and two boys, the one pointing at something…one of them being…_Newt_?_

_The Glade…_

_Another screen, this time with Chuck's image on it…_

_"__Who put us here?" he heard his own voice, as if it was coming from a dream._

_People walking around, a woman showing something to a little girl, something on a screen again…_

_"__We don't know," this time it was Alby's voice, speaking in his mind as the memory of his arrival at the Glade invaded his dream…All those questions no one was willing to answer…_

_Had these questions triggered everything, eventually leading them all to ruin?_

_Glimpse of the little girl and the older people again…the blond woman for one more time…was she the leader or something?_

_A flash and there she was!_

_Teresa, as he had met her in the Glade, as he had seen her in his previous visions, staring at him with her fiery gaze and that mysterious smile, this I-know-what-is-happening-and-we're-in-this-together smile._

_"__Teresa…why are we doing this?"_

_That was his voice asking, though he had never asked something like that…at least he didn't _remember_ asking…Why were they doing _what_?_

_A glimpse of _him_, elder than previously…wait a minute, he had been in this place for years? _

_Faces passing before him on the screen…painfully familiar faces…Newt's, Minho's, Jeff's…He had been observing them? _

_He saw himself pressing a button on a screen in front of him, which was showing the human brain…Wait, wait, what did the human brain have to do with all this?_

_It couldn't be…Could it?_

_"__Excellent, Thomas," the blond woman told him with a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me."_

_If he was _excellent_, then why was he so serious? Had he realized, back then, that something really weird was going on?_

_Those masked faces, staring down at him, and now he was lying on a metal table, covered with a sheet, with closed eyes…_

_Teresa shaking her head and her lips moving…He couldn't hear anything, but it wasn't difficult for him to understand what she was saying._

_WICKED isn't good._

_"__Thomas…WICKED is good," the blonde woman was speaking again, the same words she had been saying from the moment those flashbacks had started._

_Large containers with water, he couldn't count them, they were so many…and boys inside them, struggling…_drowning_! He recognized Minho in one of them, Gally in another, all of them trying to escape and it was as if something was gripping his heart as he watched them suffering…as if he was drowning himself?_

_"__How could this be my fault?" the question he had asked Alby after Ben blamed him that he had saw him in the Changing._

_"__I saw you!" Ben's voice, that still haunted his nightmares, when the Runner was stung…He hadn't understood back then, but now everything was so clear that he felt almost physical pain…_

_And suddenly, amongst all those containers, there was one that didn't have a boy, but a _girl_ in it…a girl with wavy hair that reached her shoulders. She was struggling even harder than the boys, her mouth open in a terrified scream Thomas couldn't hear her because of the water and the thick walls of her container…but she seemed so out of place…_

_"__Why is she here?" his 'other self', the one from the flashback, asked the woman, who was standing next to him. "Why is she the only girl in there…What will her role be?"_

_"__She will be the last one," she explained. "The last experiment, the final test…A girl amongst boys under these conditions…The way they will behave to each other and the way she will react and live there will give us more information about our cause."_

_"__I can't keep watching them die," he heard himself saying and leaving, although Teresa, who had suddenly appeared next to him, kept staring at the containers with an odd expression, as if she was ready to cry, but was too scared to actually help them._

* * *

It still needed hours until dawn would come, but Eve wasn't in the slightest mood to sleep. She was watching the night sky and from time to time she was throwing a glance towards the doors of the maze to make sure that no Grievers would pay them another visit. Newt had fallen asleep next to her a couple hours ago, curled up in a fetal position as if he was afraid even in his sleep. Despite being here only for two days, Eve had the impression that she knew him well and therefore she could bet that Newt considered himself a useless leader, someone who had failed and had let everyone down. Right now, his naturally serious face had a frown that didn't suit him and she caressed his shoulder again, taking care to not wake him up.

"Stop blaming yourself for everything, for shuck's sake," she whispered. "You seem to carry the whole world on your shoulders and this is a burden you don't need to have."

She looked around, afraid that Gally or someone else would come and demand explanations from them again, but it seemed that her fears wouldn't come true for the moment. Apparently, everyone was still busy seeing if something of their possessions was saved from the attack and taking care of the victims; and, since they had made clear that their help was unwanted, they had won a few hours of peace. Thomas would surely recover 'till morning and Newt, Minho and Chuck were sleeping, with the two girls awake to guard them from the terrors of the night. Eve rested her chin on her knees and looked into the distance, thinking about nothing and everything. The ambush had confirmed what she already believed: they _had _to get out of here as soon as possible. One more day in the Glade would equal with a deed of death, she was sure about this.

_But with Gally being like that, I have no idea how the hell we'll achieve this! Damn you, Creators, are you satisfied with yourselves?_

A groan coming from Newt's side made her look concerned at him, thinking that he was hurt. When she saw him, though, whimpering like a wounded animal, shuddering and a few tears running down his pale cheeks, she realized immediately that the pain he was feeling was emotional, not physical. Newt muttered something she couldn't hear, so she slightly bent to his side so she could listen, wanting to learn what was haunting him so badly.

"I-It's not f-fair!" he stuttered and hugged himself involuntary. "I-It's the o-only w-way…t-to e-escape…H-have t-to escape…"

"Newt, Newt, hey." Eve said quietly, her voice unnaturally gentle to give him a sense of comfort. "It's okay, everything is gonna be okay, I promise…We will escape, don't worry…"

"All a-alone in this…" Newt continued mumbling, his shudders becoming even worse with every moment that passed. "H-have to do this…T-They won't c-control me a-anymore."

"You're not alone, Newt. I swear, you're not alone, we stick together in this. You'll see, we'll take revenge for the lives that have been taken away from us, we'll fix everything, just trust me, you're not alone."

She continued speaking comforting words to help him relax, but to no avail: Newt continued groaning and crying in despair. Clearly, his nightmare was a really bad one, otherwise it wouldn't turn the usually composed boy in this mess. Eve gave up, seeing that, no matter what she was saying, nothing could give her friend something to hold on and keep his faith. Sighing and hoping that actions would have a better result, she lied down by his side and stroke his arm with the lightest of touches, shushing him wordlessly. Somehow he reminded her of Chuck; of a child that needed someone elder to assure him that nothing would harm him. Indeed, after what seemed like years, the shivers stopped and were replaced by shaky, yet deep breaths, while his arms relaxed and he fell into a calmer state of sleep. Eve smiled with relief, glad that she had managed to chase the bad dream away; she didn't want to see Newt distressed like this. Snuggling closer to him, she rested her head between his shoulder blades, listening to his steady breathing and receiving his warmth that helped her calm somewhat down after the rough night. She didn't know for how long she stayed like this, until she too fell asleep.

* * *

When Newt woke up the next morning he wondered how he could feel so calm, content even. Of all night, last night should have been the worst; whenever he was dreaming of that dreadful day when he tried to end his own life in the maze, he was waking up soaked in sweat and able to relax only after some hours and after being assured that he was still alive in the Glade. So why did today's waking up feel so…good? Still a bit dizzy from sleep, he could feel something warm on his back and this warmth was being transferred everywhere, making him feel better than he had felt in a long time. Newt rubbed his eyes and slowly turned around, curious to see what it was. When he saw Eve, deep asleep and cuddled in his side, he gasped and couldn't prevent the blush from spreading on his face. He vaguely remembered how they had talked about how it was best to approached the new situation until they had reached the conclusion that it was pointless and he had fallen asleep soon afterwards.

_So thanks to Eve did I manage—_Newt frowned and didn't complete his train of thought. Even while he was having the permanent nightmare in all its glorious details—his immense despair, the wish to feel free with his death, the pain, Alby carrying him to the Glade—he had felt a consoling presence next to him at some point, like a guardian angel visiting him as he was fighting against the fever, back in the Homestead, while Jeff and Clint were taking care of his leg. A guardian angel with a soft voice that had helped him to relax.

_"__Everything is gonna be okay…You're not alone…We'll fix everything…I promise…"_

And now he discovered that this guardian angel was actually Eve; the stubborn, hotheaded and outspoken girl hadn't backed away from him, no, she had stayed by his side and, with a few words and a few actions, he had forgotten the ghosts that were torturing him for the rest of the night. Feelings of protectiveness and gratitude overwhelmed him and Newt smiled slightly as he noticed how peaceful she was, how innocent, like a little girl. Carefully, to not startle her, he removed a few dark brown locks from her face, tucking them behind her ear so that they wouldn't disturb her. The quiet all around, though, was soon disturbed by approaching steps and Newt groaned when he saw to whom they belonged.

"Oh, bloody shucking hell," he cursed through his teeth and stood up to go and speak to Gally, who was coming towards him angrily, with Minho following him, the Keeper of the Runners looking ready to strangle the Builder at any moment.

"Newt, seriously, he's shucking _insane_!" the black-haired boy told the second-in-command. "Here I wake up, go to see him so we can find a damn solution and he's blabbering some nonsense about—"

"Wait, wake the others, I hate saying the same things over and over!" Gally demanded with a loud voice.

"As if we actually like listening to you." Newt mumbled, but went to wake up Eve anyway, while Minho woke Chuck and Teresa, who, apparently, hadn't slept at all, exited the pit and stared hatefully at Gally.

"Alright, we won't let yesterday just blow over! It's obvious, Thomas and these two—"he pointed at Teresa and Eve "were sent here for a reason; and this reason is threatening all of us! And I won't hear this "Thomas can save us" klunk anymore!"

"Wait, since when do _you_ decide about what we'll do?" Teresa asked and her eyes were sparkling.

"Shut up, I'm talking now! So, you come with me, Thomas and the ladies get banished and life continues as it was or you join _them_ and get banished at sundown too!"

"Jeez, Gally, thanks for speaking as if we're not here, man!" Eve scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Do you even listen to what you're saying? That's the only thing you care about, that life goes on as it was? That's _not _gonna happen, you bloody idiot!" Newt snapped at Gally as well, tired of his attitude. _Banishing_? It was as if Gally was offering them free access to the fight for entering the outside world, _their_ world.

"It can happen, as long as we eliminate those who are messing up with it!"

"_Not_ gonna happen for us, though!" Minho hissed and Chuck, wanting to show that he was supporting Thomas too, nodded eagerly.

"I had thought you'd say that. Suit yourself, then! The blame is all yours now!"

* * *

Thomas's eyes opened abruptly and, still affected by what he had seen, he tried to remember where he was and what had happened. Teresa's soft voice over him made him realize that he was in the pit, his head on her lap and Newt, Eve, Minho and Chuck right outside the door. After their talk with Gally, they had promised that they would never give up, even if it would cost them their lives.

"Are you okay?" Teresa wanted to know.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Chuck asked reproachfully. Teresa and Thomas, who sat up, turned to look at the others, their concerned faces, the determined look in their eyes.

"What happened?" Thomas's voice was still weak, both from the exhaustion and from what he would soon tell them about their past…_his_ past.

"Gally's taken control." Newt informed him. "He said we had a choice. Either join him or get banished at sundown with you."

Thomas shook his head and looked away as the guilt inside him became even worse. Damn it, he was partially responsible for their presence in this wretched place, he was responsible for the chasm that had been created between the Gladers and he sure as hell was responsible for the numerous deaths that plague the once peaceful valley.

"The others agreed to that?"

"Gally has everyone convinced that you're the reason all this has happened." Teresa said.

_Well, I agree with him on that point!_

"Well, he's been right so far."

"What are you talking about?" Minho narrowed his eyes, but Eve kept staring at him; Thomas had just woken up and this statement…

"Thomas," she started "what did you see in the Changing?"

"This place…it's not what we thought it was. It's not a prison, it's a _test_! It all started when we were kids…They'd give us these challenges…They were _experimenting_ on us…And then people started disappearing. Every month, one after the other, like clockwork."

"Sending them up into the maze." Newt concluded, while Eve was leaving a sound like an angry cat. She knew, deep down, that the Creators were using them like lab rats, but hearing this from Thomas with proof was far worse than she had expected.

"Yeah." Thomas confirmed what Newt said. "But not all of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Guys, I'm one of them," he admitted and now he had the feeling he couldn't speak…God, what had he done to them? "The people who put you here, I worked with them. I've been watching you guys for _years_. The entire time you've been here, I was on the other side of it," he stopped for a few seconds to look straight at Teresa. "And so were you."

Eve, who had lowered her head, jolted it up in surprise. It couldn't…Thomas and Teresa, so strong, willing to help them solve this mystery, they couldn't be with the bad guys! There was some mistake…they were just victims, like all of them…They hadn't done this willingly!

"What?" Teresa gasped and her voice was already shaking.

"Teresa, we did this to them."

"No! That can't be true!"

"It is. I saw it. And Eve…I saw you too."

"You saw me?" the sixteen-year old repeated and her hands grabbed the door to not fall down. "W-What do you mean…How…Was I…"

"No, no, you weren't working with them." Thomas explained. "You were destined from the beginning to be sent here. There's this woman, I think she leads this entire thing…She said you'd be the last one who would come here. A final experiment, a girl in a bunch of guys, they wanted to see how you'd act."

Eve's hand was grabbing the door so tightly, that her knuckles had become white, as she tried to control her breath. So that's what she and the rest of them were to the Creators; not humans with feelings and rights, no, they were _lab rats_ for them, _experiments_ to be tested! Her anger turned into rage and now the only thing she wanted to do was find those people and make them pay for everything they had done to them. She felt Next caressing her back, drawing invisible circles on it to make her feel better, but it actually worsened her mood.

_Three years…How did you endure? How did you manage to pull through without going crazy?_

"Okay, I understand why they had Eve, but why would they send _us_ up if we were with them?" Teresa was now crying; out of pain, out of qualms, out of utter despair.

_I wanted to know…But the truth hurts so much that maybe sometimes it's better to stay in the dark!_

"It doesn't matter." Thomas answered softly.

"He's right. It doesn't matter. Any of it. 'Cause the people we were before the maze, they don't even exist anymore! These Creators took care of that." Newt spoke again, loudly, but calmly, wanting to make sure that Thomas and Teresa would get the message. "But what _does_ matter is who we are now and what we _do_ right now! You went into the maze and you found a way out!"

"Yeah, but if I hadn't, Alby would still be alive."

"And if the Creators hadn't started this whole experiment-thing, _no _Glader would have died and you saw how many names are crossed from that wall!" Eve told him, having found some small amounts of strength in her that defeated the shock. "Now that we have an idea of what this whole mess means, it's up to us what we'll do with this knowledge!"

"And maybe Alby would be alive, yeah." Newt locked his gaze into Thomas's as he continued. "But I know that if he were here he would be telling you the exact same thing: _Pick your ass up and finish what you started_! 'Cause if we do nothing, then that means Alby died for nothing and I can't have that."

Despite the grave situation, Eve couldn't help but smile. That was Newt; protecting them, giving them courage, keeping them together so they could confront whatever was awaiting them. And she surely wouldn't sit there and let the events unfold without actually participating in them!

They had used her as an experiment before.

Now it was time for her to take matters in her own hands!

It seemed that Newt's words worked on Thomas and Teresa like a miracle; the former's expression softened, he didn't look so guilty anymore, but more determined and willing to lead them so that they would leave this place that had stolen their own lives!

"Okay," he nodded. "Okay, but we gotta get through Gally first!"

"Ha, good luck in that, the guy would deliver us to the Grievers if he had the chance!" Eve scoffed. "And what can we do? Should Thomas, Teresa and I pretend that we surrender so they think they've won and then surprise them and run like the wind into the maze at the right moment?"

She was expecting small smiles, chuckles and more conversations about how they should approach the irritable Glader. What she _didn't _expect, though, was Chuck leaving a triumphant "HA!", Teresa smiling widely and Newt staring with her in admiration.

"What?"

"Nice one, Greenie." Minho stated with his known sassy smile. "That's _exactly _what we're gonna do!"

**A/N: And chapter's over! I hope you liked it, guys :) Stay tuned until the next chapter ;) Love you all.**


	8. Time to choose

**A/N: Hello, everyone, a new chapter is here! Brace yourself, guys, the Gladers plan how to get past Gally to finally explore the shucking maze! I was initially planning to include the fight with the Grievers too, but then the chapter would be too large, so the next chapter will be full of action, hehe! Also, an extra Thomesa scene is in the chapter...can't help it, I'm a dedicated shipper, hehe! Btw, how did you guys find the Scorch Trials movie? I actually LOVED it! :)**

**NewtnTMR- Thank you soo much for your review, I really hope you will like the update too :)**

**Oblivion16- Aww, thank you so much, your reviews are always encouraging me to continue :D And this chapter has one of the Thomesa scenes you've read ;)**

**Echo Haleth- Thank you very much! Stay tuned, because shuck is about to happen! ;)**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own the Maze Runner Trilogy.**

"Okay, now on your feet!" Minho commanded and stood up. "We have a plan to organize!"

"But we _have _a plan." Chuck softly disagreed as Newt helped Eve up. "Eve just said it; we fool Gally and the others and then run as fast as we can to freedom!"

"That's only the general idea, Chuck. But we have to plan our steps very carefully if we want to succeed. And Gally won't hesitate to harm us, so we need to decide who will do what and where we'll stand while our three Greenies try to reason with the Number One Shank!"

"Then let's go." Eve exclaimed determined. She opened the door of the pit for Teresa, who helped a still weak Thomas to walk. "You fine, guys? Need some more assistance, Teresa?"

"No, don't worry, I'm okay. It's just that Thomas still needs a few more moments to recover from the Changing and everything he remembered," the ravenette answered with a sad smile, which had a hint of gratitude towards Eve's willingness to offer a helping hand.

"And his bloody impulse to blame himself for every shucking thing that goes wrong." Newt hissed, but only Chuck heard him and threw him a brief, concerned glance.

"Actually, guys, could you give us a minute to talk in private?" Thomas suddenly asked and nodded towards Teresa, his voice low and gentle, but everyone heard him. A light shade of pink painted Teresa's pale cheeks, Newt frowned, unable to understand why Thomas was asking this at such a serious moment, Eve smiled slightly and Chuck's eyes widened in innocent surprise. Minho, on the other hand, stared at them as if they had announced they would invite Gally over for a friendly conversation.

"Are you totally insane?" he snapped furiously. "Have you realized how serious things are? Gally attacked you last night, we are about to conspire to get through him and now you want little chit-chats?"

"It won't take more than five or ten minutes, Minho, I promise." Teresa assured him and, although her voice remained calm and steady, it was obvious that she too wanted these minutes of privacy. "And then I'll call you back here and we'll talk about everything, okay?"

"Come on, Minho, ten minutes won't harm us; Gally has made his point clear, so he won't disturb us." Eve defended them. "Besides, Thomas has told us so many things about those who sent us here…All those things he and Teresa had to do…it's not easy to cope with all this."

Newt stared at her for a few seconds and smiled. There it was again: Eve was surely shaken by what she had learnt, but she understood the even larger emotional turmoil the other two were going through and wanted to help them, without showing her own fear. He felt very proud of her and swore mentally to never disappoint her and to always be there for her no matter what; this girl who was thrown into a maze full of boys as if she was a waste; who had this burden ever since she was a kid. Her words seemed to affect Minho, whose expression softened as he looked at Thomas and Teresa.

"Fine, then. If it's so important for you, fine with me. We'll wait at whatever remains of the Homestead so we can start preparing ourselves, okay?"

"Okay, Minho, thanks." Thomas smiled. "It won't take long."

"Take all the time you need." Newt comforted him. "We understand, man, honestly. It's a lot to cope with."

"Why don't we just beat Gally into unconsciousness and get over it?" Eve sighed while they were walking away. "Perhaps he just scared the others…"

"It could be, Eve, but that's a risk I don't wanna take." Minho disagreed. "Talking to the others and ask them if they want to follow us, okay. But Gally is another story."

"The 'beating Gally into unconsciousness' part isn't that bad, though." Newt commented.

Both Thomas and Teresa chuckled at this before their friends disappeared from their sight and they looked at each other intently. Their eyes reflected all their emotions: the pain, the guilt, the exhaustion, the hope for freedom.

"You okay?" Thomas wanted to know, being sure that Teresa wouldn't try to bottle up what was truly going on in her mind.

"I should be the one asking that." Teresa said. "You went through a lot these past hours and now…now, if we go in the maze, you'll be our leader."

"Ah, don't worry about me." Thomas made an It's-no-big-deal gesture. "I'll be alright once I regain my strength…God, this syringe works, but I feel as if my feet are made of stones."

"I don't know about your feet, but your head is surely made of stone, with these stupid decisions you make." the girl teased him and they laughed, which helped the tension of the attack ease a lot. "Seriously, what were you only thinking? And was it worth in the end?"

"It was, in a way. We found out who we were right before we ended up here…And we know why at least Eve was sent here. Remember, you had once said that Eve would be the last experiment and you the trigger; back when you were in a coma and were talking in my head."

"I don't know…I told you once I triggered the Ending, but I have no idea what this means…I don't think I triggered something." Teresa shrugged and her blue eyes travelled to the distance, avoiding looking at him. "It's _you_ who triggered everything and inspired our friends."

"But I wouldn't have done anything without you and your support. Those moments when you were speaking in my head, explaining some things to me or simply giving me comfort…I was feeling I wasn't totally useless or destroying everything like Gally was thinking."

"You wanted to know. That's completely normal. Both of us were working for the Creators and we have subconsciously kept these memories. So we tried to find a way to solve this puzzle and help ourselves and the others."

"Yeah, but my actions took Alby's life, just like so many others' and Gally is right to blame me." Thomas lowered his head, but a soft hand on his shoulder made him look up again.

"Don't say that." Teresa shook her head. "You heard what Newt said previously. They died and now it's up to us to make sure that their sacrifice won't be for nothing. And you're not alone in this."

Thomas didn't speak for a few moments, but then a hesitant smile appeared on his face and Teresa returned it willingly to give him more courage. She was still confused and sad because of what Thomas had told them, but she wouldn't back down because of this…and she wouldn't allow Thomas to back down either. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and placed her head on his shoulder, ignoring the other's surprised gasp, wanting to thank him for being there for her, for saving her life yesterday; she wanted to tell him that everything would go well.

"I owe you my life, Thomas," she whispered and her smile became wider when she felt him hugging her back. "And now it's my turn to protect you and stand by your side in this battle."

"And I myself won't let anything harm you and our friends. That's a promise and I keep my promises." Thomas replied and, to make his point clear, gave her a kiss on the top of her head. It was a spontaneous movement, but it helped him a lot and he could sense that Teresa didn't mind.

"Now, let's start our small council, shall we?"

* * *

Eve, who leaned on one of the walls of the Homestead that were still intact, threw an absent-minded look towards the three boys who were waiting with her, all of them lost in their own thoughts. Chuck kept staring anxiously and impatiently at the direction heading to the pit; Thomas was like an older brother for him and he wanted to jump to the plan. Weird; he was here for a month, he had started to get used to the Glade and, suddenly, he couldn't wait to leave this place. It was as if the wish to see the outside world and, maybe, meet his parents was always there, well hidden and waiting for the trigger that would bring it to surface.

Minho was outside, hands crossed over his chest, serious and silent. The only sound that was coming from him was a low scoff from time to time, as if he wondered how the hell things had escalated so quickly or if their decision to leave the Glade made them suicidal maniacs. Still, it was obvious that his Runner side had already won; after three years of trying to find an exit, although he himself had thought it made no sense, the curiosity to check if the key they had found was indeed leading to their freedom was obvious on him. His body stance, the way his keen eyes were locked on the huge walls that surrounded the Glade, all this yelled I-want-to-fight-and-get-the-hell-out-of-this-shuckhole.

Newt was restless too, walking up and down and occasionally sighing. Now that the moment he would go into the maze for the first time since his severe injury was so near, he couldn't avoid the memories invading his mind: memories about the day he had enough of everything, about the moment he had thought that dying would be the only way for him to leave this wretched place. Not even Minho knew the true reason why he couldn't be a Runner anymore: Alby, who had found Newt just a few minutes before sunset, had told the Keeper of the Runners—and the rest of the Gladers except Clint and Jeff—that he was injured by a Griever. Despite the fact that it was too difficult to cope with the aftermath and with everything concerning the Glade and this bloody experiment, Newt was ready to face the one thing between them and the world they had a right to live in.

Eve's thoughts, on the other hand, were following another trail. The brunette girl was reminiscing about the few days she had spent here and how she had felt that she had always lived here. She had believed that this impression was a result of Newt's explanations, but now, after Thomas's narration, she saw this under a whole new light. She had sensed that she was a part of this from the beginning…because that was exactly the case! She had been a part from the moment she ended up with the Creators.

_"__It all started when we were kids…They'd give us these challenges." _Thomas's voice echoed in her mind as she remembered what she learned a few minutes ago.

_"__You were destined from the beginning to be sent here. There's this woman, I think she leads this entire thing…She said you'd be the last one who would come here," _that was what he had told her, after informing her he had remembered her as well._ "A final experiment, a girl in a bunch of guys, they wanted to see how you'd act."_

_"__She said you'd be the last one…"_

_"__She will be the last one."_

Eve took a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding. That last sentence…She didn't remember Thomas saying it, but, in a sudden, these words rang a bell. Someone had said them and she had heard them, she was sure of it.

And then the memories returned her to her arrival here, when she woke up after being in a comatose for hours.

The threatening darkness, the emotional pain, the feeling of being trapped in an endless nightmare…

And a woman's voice uttering this sentence exactly; most likely the woman Thomas mentioned; the leader of this experiment.

"She will be the last one," she whispered and her voice made the others turn startled towards her.

"What was that?" Minho asked, narrowing his eyebrows as he looked at her with an odd expression, as if he was seriously doubting her mental stability.

"She will be the last one." Eve repeated, only this time louder and it seemed that the memory from her coma became clearer with every second that was passing. Her green-brown eyes met Newt's dark brown ones, as if she was seeking someone who would understand what she meant. "Newt, don't you remember? My first night here, I spoke to you about when I was unconscious and about some voices I had heard."

"Oh, yeah." Newt nodded, a light switching on in his head. "You said you didn't remember anything specific."

"Well, I do now. I had heard a female voice, guys. Saying 'She will be the last one'. Thomas was right about everything, they had been planning this for _years_; years before I came here, before the Glade was even created!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a sec!" Minho raised his hand to cut her off, his voice covering Chuck's gasp. "Okay, do you realize what that means? If you can remember this, then it means that this shucking woman, whoever she is, revealed your part in all this while you were present!"

"Probably, otherwise it wouldn't make any sense." Eve agreed. "So?"

"So?! Are you saying that these slintheads were speaking about their project _in front of the shucking experiments_?"

"What does it matter now, Minho?" the second-in-command snapped. "The point is that we know at least some bloody things and that we use what we learned to go away!"

"I don't think they cared that much about what we would hear, Minho. I doubt we understood what was going on even when we were on the other side." Eve added. "Besides, they'd wipe our memories anyway, they had thought they could talk freely since we would forget everything. Unless, of course…"

"Unless, of course what? C'mon, Eve, finish your sentences already!" Chuck urged her impatiently.

"Well, Thomas spoke about _challenges_. Tests and experiments they had been giving us since we were little. Perhaps they _wanted_ us to know some things so that they could see how we would react. So that they could decide who of us was capable enough to work with them and who would become a simple test subject that would be sent here."

A small silence followed her theory and Eve almost laughed at the irony of the situation. When she woke up here, one of the two first and only females in the Glade, she had thought that sulking and making assumptions about a world and a past she couldn't remember didn't make sense and wouldn't help anyone. And here she was now, minutes after the first real revelations about how everything had started, expressing what could only be a _possibility_.

_How fast everything has changed…And how many more changes we will face, especially if we make it out of the maze alive._

"And then they would force the most capable ones to join them…perhaps by blackmailing them or something." Newt went on from where Eve stopped. "You saw how Thomas and Teresa reacted…No bloody wonder they wanted to stay alone for a while."

"Yeah, well, it's obviously too difficult for them. It's like you said it, Newt, the people we were before the maze don't exist. Both of them came here with no memories, but feeling, _knowing _deep down that they're different…only to discover that they used to work with the bad guys. They feel guilty for being partly responsible for all these losses and the changes and they want to help us now, but I bet they're also scared for what's gonna happen and what the Creators will do to all of us."

"Jeez, Eve, one can't feel all this at the same time, they'd explode!" Minho commented.

"Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have."

Chuck couldn't help but laugh both at Eve's sarcastic answer and at Minho's dumbfounded expression, as if he couldn't believe that their Greenie had outwitted him. Even Newt couldn't suppress a small smile and he felt more optimistic and ready to face whatever challenges were awaiting them. No matter what would happen, at least he wasn't alone in this, he had his friends, who all had the same urge to confront those who had imprisoned them here.

"Nice one, Eve, but I think Teresa's coming," the Runner pointed towards the black-haired figure approaching the Homestead, gesturing at them to follow her, and they quickly went with Teresa back to the pit. "Finally, now the real fun can start!"

"Where do you see the 'fun', Minho?" Thomas asked and the six of them sat down in a circle. "Okay, I don't know how much time we have, so the sooner we organize our escape the better."

"How about you three Greenies go first, pretending to surrender or something like that while Newt, Chuck and I pack our things and then join the party?" Minho suggested.

"But Gally will realize that something's wrong if the second-in-command and the Keeper of the Runners aren't there." Teresa objected. "And don't forget that he knows that you guys are on our side."

"I could and pack some things, though; I bet we're gonna need food and supplies out there…whatever 'out there' is." Chuck declared, earning pats on the back from the boys and smiles from the girls thanks to his willingness to participate in this operation.

"You do that, Chuck. As for us…you two," Thomas said to Newt and Minho, "you could go to Gally and the others first and lie that you changed your mind and that you realized how all this is rubbish and you prefer to stay in the Glade and forget everything about the Creators and the outside world."

"Ha, I bet that's gonna convince Gally." Eve agreed. "And then we come to what Minho and I said…we three go there and allow them to capture and banish us, although, in my humble opinion, this banishing is basically free passage to the maze."

"Alright, good that. And then Minho and I jump into action, free you from Gally and make clear that no one can prevent us from going out there. Question: will we give them the choice to come with us?" Newt wanted to know, rubbing his chin, a sign that he was in deep thought.

"Why not? If Eve is right and they agreed with the shank only because they're scared as hell, we should ask who's crazy enough to follow us." Minho stated. "If some of them are even a bit curious, they'll come."

"Let's hope so." Chuck mumbled, since the possibility of a large group of Gladers confronting the Grievers had more chances to succeed. The twelve-year-old stood up, ready to fulfill his part of the plan and go pack as many supplies as he could. "I see you later, then. Just be careful, guys, please!"

"Don't worry, Chuck, it's gonna be okay." Thomas assured him, trying to gain faith from his own words and to encourage his friends at the same time. "Newt, Minho, you better go too," he told said Gladers when the little one left after allowing the girls to hug him and the boys to ruffle his curly hair.

"Got it." Minho nodded eagerly. "The sooner we see his shuck face the sooner we'll get rid of it, anyway."

He had spoken in his usual sarcastic tone, although it was obvious to everyone that he was doing this in an attempt to keep things a bit normal; to show that he faced this situation using his logic instead of succumbing to some emotional confusion. As a Runner, and therefore someone who knew the most about the maze, he thought that was his role now: to stay calm in order to help the others.

"You guys stay here; I bet Gally will send someone to get you." Newt commented. "Especially when we lie to him that we're on his side."

"Stick to the plan; no matter what, he mustn't suspect us." Minho concluded and stood up, ready to leave, but something stopped him. "Now that things are like that…shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?"

"Go ahead," Newt replied.

Minho didn't speak at once, his eyes facing the other five, one by one. "Be careful," he said dryly. "Don't die."

Thomas scoffed at this answer, Teresa's eyed widened as if she was asking him if that was what he considered 'pep talk' and Eve stared at him as if she was seriously fighting the urge to smack him. Still, a part of her couldn't help but think that Minho was right; after all, staying alive was what mattered the most. Newt, on the other hand, didn't seem surprised, as if he didn't expect anything else from him.

"Great," he simply told him blankly. "We're all bloody inspired. And after these 'encouraging' words, may we leave now?"

Before going, though, the blond threw a last look towards Thomas, Teresa and Eve; two of them used to work with the Creators and one was used as an experiment from the beginning, yet now all three of them were more than willing to help them get outside of this shuckhole. With a soft smile, he placed a hand on Eve's arm in a comforting gesture, his gaze travelling from her to the other two.

"It's gonna be alright," he said, as a last encouragement to friends before a big chaos.

"We know." Eve replied, mimicking his gesture and smiling back, while Thomas and Teresa nodded in agreement.

"Uh, hate to interrupt you guys, but I'd like to leave this place sometime this year." Minho interrupted the small exchange of words.

The three newbies watched as the other two took their leave for the entrance of the maze, waiting patiently for someone to lead them there; for they had no doubt that Newt was right and that Gally would send some Gladers to bring them to him as if they were prisoners. Eve saw Thomas opening his mouth to speak and, guessing what he wanted to say, she quickly cut him off.

"Don't say anything, there's no need to apologize," she told him. "What happened happened and we can't change it. What matters now is to make them pay for what they've done to us."

* * *

Smoke was still filling the atmosphere of the Glade and Eve coughed twice as she walked across the once beautiful meadow while being pushed by a Glader Gally had sent. The guy had bound her hands behind her back, just like the one leading Teresa, despite the girls' incessant struggling to break free. Thomas was limply dragged by two boys, whose intention was probably to humiliate him as much as possible. Eve sighed and let her gaze wander around; to the destroyed huts, to the weak flames that were still burning here and there, to the few boys who hadn't joined the others at the entrance of the maze.

"Admiring the view?" the one pushing her asked ironically and his grip became even tighter, almost causing a whimper from her. "Are you proud of what you did?"

"I didn't do anything and stop pushing me, whatever your name is!" Eve snapped at him, noticing that they were approaching the majority of the boys, who were watching Gally crossing names from the wall.

"Leave her alone, nothing is her fault!" Teresa supported her.

"Oh, shut up and keep walking, we don't have all day!" her captor, a Glader with long blonde hair, said angrily.

As they were brought in the center of the gathered teenagers, Gally left the wall and walked towards them with a serious and grim expression on his face. At his nod, the boys carrying Thomas let him go and he fell heavily on the ground as Gally stood over him in a threatening way. This time, Eve couldn't help but flinch at the sound of Thomas hitting the ground; apparently, the Keeper of the Builders would do anything, no matter how extreme, to pass the message he wanted to the others. To gain some courage, she turned her head to look at Newt, who was standing a few feet behind; he was the one who had comforted her when she needed it, who had protected her from Gally's accusations and who had made her small stay in the Glade a bit more tolerable. In response, the blond second-in-command gave her an encouraging nod, but the dark-haired boy who was still holding her forced her to look in front of her again, interrupting the eye contact between them.

"This is such a waste." Gally commented and if Eve didn't know him, she'd say he sounded resigned, as if what would happen was over his strength and that he couldn't do anything else. Teresa stared at him and her gaze was equally surprised, as if she had a very bad feeling about the true meaning behind his words.

"Care to elaborate?" Eve dared to ask, not actually expecting an answer, but unwilling to do Gally's favor and keep her mouth shut. Just like she had imagined, no one replied to her, like they didn't consider her worthy of their attention.

"Gally!" Winston exclaimed suddenly and the mentioned Glader withdraw his eyes from Thomas to look at him with an annoyed Not-the-shuck-now-Winston glare. "It doesn't feel right, man," he added and the guilt was obvious in his voice.

_What doesn't feel right? Banishing us? Oh, believe me, whatever can get us outta here feels more than right!_

"Yeah, what if Thomas is right? Maybe he can lead us home." Jeff added hopefully and now Gally's expression couldn't be misinterpreted; he was wondering if Jeff and Winston were serious or if they were completely mental. Teresa briefly looked at them, hoping that the Med-jack and the Slicer would be able to give Gally another point of view of the situation.

"We _are_ home. Okay?" Gally's reply crashed Teresa's hopes and Eve rolled her eyes in frustration; was the guy so damn blind? His voice was surprisingly calm and comforting to convince both of them that whatever he had in his mind was for their own good. "I don't wanna have to cross any more names off that wall."

"You really think banishing us is gonna solve anything?" Teresa spoke up, voicing Eve's own thoughts at the same time. This thought exactly was in her mind from the moment she saw Gally so unwilling to listen to anyone else. He considered her, Teresa and Thomas responsible for anything, but if he seriously believed that their banishing would save the others, then she had overestimated his intelligence.

"No. But this isn't a banishing. It's an offering." Gally made clear.

"Wait, what?!" Eve shrieked, understanding immediately what his intentions were and being pushed against one of the poles the next second by the one holding her, who quickly tied her hands over her head, no matter how much she tried to get away. "Let me go, you sick slinthead! Let. Me. Shucking. Go!"

"What? Wait—Gally!" Teresa yelled as the blonde Glader tied her up on the second pole next to the still struggling Eve. "What are you doing?"

Their protests, though, fell on deaf ears; no one ran to their aid, either because they were thinking that Gally is right—which was the case for most—or because they were sticking to the plan and were waiting for the right moment—in Newt and Minho's case. Eve's hands were hurting because of her desperate attempts to free herself, but she didn't back down: they were so close to freedom, she wouldn't become Griever lunch. She remembered what she had said, that Gally would deliver them to the Grievers if he could; could she see the future or something?

"You really think I'm gonna let Thomas back into the maze after what he's done?" Gally raised his voice. "Look around you! Look at our Glade! This is the only way!"

During Gally's speech, no one noticed Newt looking at Minho in secret and discretely rubbing his chin, to which the Runner responded with a nod. It was their way of agreeing that freeing Thomas and the girls and running into the maze was only a matter of minutes. In the meantime, Chuck had also joined them, carrying their supplies and ready to follow his friends.

"And when the Grievers get what they came here for, everything goes back to the way it was." Gally concluded.

"You can't believe what you're saying! You put everyone in danger, you idiot!" Eve, despite shuddering, despite knowing that it was useless, tried to reason with him again.

"Yes, are you listening to this?" Teresa, on the other hand, spoke to the rest of the Gladers, thinking that perhaps they were too affected by Gally to express their own opinion; thinking that she had a chance to make them see their right to live out of these walls. "Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy!"

"You shut up?" Gally interrupted her.

"Eve is right, guys! If you stay here, the Grievers are going to come back. They're gonna come back and they're gonna keep coming back until you're all dead!"

"Shut up!" Gally repeated, although the girls' warnings had caused a distress amongst the boys. "Tie him up," he ordered, pointing at Thomas, who was still on the ground. He noticed, though, that the boys he had addressed didn't obey him at once and that angered the already furious Builder even more. "Did you hear me? I said tie him up!"

This time they heard him and picked Thomas from the ground, but they would face a surprise. Thomas freed himself from their grip by pushing them hard and throwing the one down; at the same time, Newt knocked the second one unconscious with his machete. Even the tied up girls got some action, since Teresa kicked the long-haired Glader between the legs and Eve kicked her own captor hard on the shin. Gally, seeing that he had lost control, tried to interfere somehow, but he was stopped by Minho, who held his blade on his shoulder. It seemed that Thomas's small 'rebellion' had inspired some others too because, while the abovementioned Glader pointed a spear at Gally, Frypan freed Teresa from her ropes as Newt did the same to Eve, who rubbed her wrists for a second.

"Here you go, Greenbean," he said concerned, handing her a small knife so she could protect herself.

"Thanks." Eve replied with a wide smile. "We really did it, didn't we?"

Chuck, who had run to them as fast as his backpacks allowed him to, stood next to them and, at the moment, he was giving the impression to have the same age with the others, serious and determined as he was. Minho was the last one who stepped in the half-circle of rebels, his blade still pointing at Gally and looking almost frightening as his eyes had a clear message: _One stupid move and you're shucked!_

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Gally managed to speak when the first shock faded.

"You don't have to come with us, but we _are_ leaving." Thomas declared and his strong voice had a hint of despair, as if it was a matter of life and death to him; as if, according to him, he could mend what he had done to the Gladers that way. "Everyone else who wants to come, now's your last chance!"

"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you."

"No, I'm not trying to scare you, you're already scared. Alright? _I'm_ scared! But I'd rather risk my life out there than spending the rest of it in here. We don't belong here. This place _isn't_ our home. We were _put_ here. We're _trapped_ here! At least out there we have a choice. We can make it outta here. I _know_ that." Thomas put an end to Gally's attempts to keep the rest of them in the Glade and everything it represented. Looks were exchanged between them, troubled expressions and sighs of confusion and fear, although Thomas's words, apparently, had managed to inspire them.

Winston made the beginning, leaving the spot where he was standing, next to Jeff. The Med-jack was the next, mumbling a "Sorry" towards Gally, who stared baffled at the increasing number of Gladers joining Thomas and the others, deciding to take the risk and find out what the outside world looked like. In the end, only a small bunch of boys stayed by Gally's side, the others having joined Thomas, some with determined expressions, others wondering if they were crazy, but all of them willing to run through the maze and explore what was beyond it; discover if _home_ actually existed for them. Thomas, seeing that Gally didn't like this at all, tried to show him that they didn't have to be on opposite sides.

"Gally, it's over. Just come with us."

This time, Gally really looked resigned as he sighed, realizing that it was pointless to try and convince the Gladers by punishing Thomas. Despite being offered this last chance, he the sirens of this unknown world scared him; he preferred sticking around to what he knew or what he thought he knew. After all, the fear of the unknown is one of the most cunning fears; you'd rather stick to a suffocating routine, to a place you're trapped in than taking the risk to change something.

"Good luck against the Grievers," he only said calmly, as an honest advice towards those who were willing to put their lives in danger.

"Good luck in this prison," was Eve's sharp answer, although Teresa's hand on her shoulder told her that it really wasn't worth it. The brunette nodded and ran into the maze with her friends and allies, with those she trusted, with whom she would face the challenges of a probably hostile world they couldn't remember.

It was finally time for them to see what they were really up against.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, everyone, another chapter has come to an end. The Gladers finally escaped the Glade, but nothing's over for them! Stay tuned until the next chapter and don't forget to R&amp;R! Love you all :)**


	9. The Maze Runners

**A/N: Hey, everyone :) After so many months of studying and being unable to write due to lack of time and energy, here I am again and, oh my God, this chapter ended up much longer than I had in my mind :P Our heroes finally manage to escape; for the moment, of course. Hope you'll like the chapter and, as always, a huge thank you to those who review, favorite and follow!**

**DreamerDayjob- Thank you very much, I hope you will like the update too :)**

**FireOfInspiration- Aw, don't feel bad about it, you're free to review whenever you want :) I'm so glad you like the story so far! And, yes, the Minho/Eve talk was inspired by Harry Potter, I thought this specific quote fitted to Minho a lot ;)**

**Rachel- Thanks a lot, I'm so happy you like it :)**

**The title is taken from the name of this amazing (or, as a friend of mine once said, a-maze-ing, hehe) trilogy and, of course, to the brave Gladers and the fighting they did at this part of the story.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own the Maze Runner Trilogy, all rights belong to James Dashner**

* * *

While the Glade was beautiful with its valley, the forest, the huts and the warm weather and, at the same time, was like a prison, the maze was impressive indeed, with its numerous corridors, the vines that covered the huge walls and the mysterious atmosphere it created. As Eve followed Thomas and the others to their exit, she couldn't help but look around; after everything she had heard about this construction, she was finally exploring it, heading towards her freedom. It was almost amazing how fast things had been developing for her: waking up in a strange place only two days ago, with no memories of her past, meeting people she already considered close to her, fighting monsters, learning why she was sent here and now on her way to discover what the outside world actually looked like. She had to admit that it was overwhelming, but it also gave her more strength and courage to do this: she would fight for her freedom no matter what. Besides, she wasn't on her own, she was with Newt, Teresa, Thomas, Minho, Chuck and the rest of the Gladers who had decided that trying to get out of here was much more preferable than staying in the Glade.

"Everybody, this way!" Thomas called out as they turned at a corner, confident about the route they had to take in order to reach the exit he and Minho had found only yesterday.

Soon they were running across an open area, which made everyone breathe more freely compared to the narrow corridor of a few minutes prior. The walls weren't so thick there, giving a better view of the sky and of the different turns of the maze, while the number '3' was painted on a wall with a dark red color that looked even darker with the concrete as a background. Eve narrowed her eyes as she stared at the number, the cogs in her mind working with all their speed. It was as if the maze was divided into parts, each of which with its own turns, its own mysteries and, she added shuddering, its own unpleasant surprises.

"Minho, where are we going?" she addressed the Keeper of the Runners, who was right in front of her. "What does that number mean?"

"The maze has eight sections and every night, when it changes, a new section opens, always with the same sequence," he explained and the young girl sped up in order to be next to him and listen better. "The door we found is in Section 7…only that said section shouldn't be open yesterday. So many shucking changes in a few days, I'm gonna flip out!"

"Well, it was thanks to these shucking changes that we can leave this place, Minho." Eve replied in an attempt to give him some sort of encouragement; to make him believe that all this wasn't for nothing. "Think it like that; everything changed and you and Thomas found our way to freedom."

"Well, if you put it this way, Greenie," the other one stated and his known, smug grin appeared on his face, "let's show these Creators that we're not simple test subjects!"

Giving her a thumbs up, he went to the tail of their group to protect the others, since he knew the maze better than most of them, and Eve focused back on the way they were taking, curious to see where this was going and constantly keeping an eye both on her friends and on those she didn't know that well. Only then did she fully realize that some Gladers were completely unknown to her, even their names being a mystery for her, and she felt a sudden disappointment and rage: it was as if she hadn't bothered to learn how they were called during her stay here, as if she considered them unimportant; or, even worse, as if she treated them like anonymous lab rats, just like the Creators treated all of them. Promising mentally to become acquainted with each and every one of them when they would reach safety, she turned slightly around to see how Newt was going; the blond was a bit behind her, his limp preventing him from moving faster, and he had a troubled expression that confused and startled her. Recalling their conversation the night she arrived, Eve guessed that he had remembered the time when he was a Runner and that today's escape had brought negative memories to the surface; and she also wondered if this had anything to do with the nightmare he had seen the previous night.

_Just what happened, Newt? What stopped you from being a Runner? And what the hell caused such a freaking nightmare yesterday?_

Indeed, running into the maze for the first time after his suicide attempt was a torment for Newt; of course there was hope in him, hope to finally get out of here and enter the world of his past, but not even the strongest hope was able to stop the emotional mess he was trying to hide. Everything had come back again: the feelings of despair and fear, temporarily faded away thanks to Eve and the way she had fallen asleep next to him, had returned to remind him of what had almost happened in that empty corridor in Section 4; of the fact that he wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Alby, who had found him, and the two med-jacks who had tended to him non-stop.

Noticing Eve's concerned glance towards him, he quickly blocked the disturbing thoughts from his mind and offered her a gentle smile to calm her down. She had been through a lot in these two days, she had been there for him; he trusted her and she _did_ deserve to know what had happened to him, but he couldn't do this to her.

_She's been so strong despite everything… I can't do this to her, I can't burden her like that._

She wasn't persuaded by his smile, he could see that, but she smiled back at him, only that her smile was a comforting one, like a silent promise that she would be there for him in the unpredictable outcome of today's actions.

"Keep it up, guys, we're almost there!" Thomas's voice urging them brought both teenagers back to reality and some boys gasped at the sight of the large separate walls with the sharp edges; Newt assumed that they were the 'Blades' Minho had once talked to him and Alby about.

When they arrived at Section 7, which was still open—although it shouldn't, according to Minho—the group gathered behind a corner, guessing that in this area was the hidden door the two Runners had discovered. Having experienced the changes their captors had given them and after the tough night against the Grievers, they weren't naïve to believe that the passage to the other side would go without a fight and so they were close to each other for more courage while Thomas threw a secret glance to the corridor, quickly hiding again and frowning at the sight of the mechanical beast he had already faced a couple of times.

"Is there a Griever?" Chuck anxiously wanted to know, interpreting his expression correctly.

"Yeah," the black-haired seventeen-year-old nodded.

"Oh, shit," the little one hissed and with this phrase he voiced everyone's thought at the moment.

"Great, we have a reception committee, wonderful." Eve scoffed, keeping her voice low to not disturb the hideous creature.

"Remember what I told you? We're gonna make it." Newt whispered to give her faith and smiled when he saw her softening, the worry being replaced by her usual stubbornness.

"You take this, Chuck." Minho told the curly-haired boy and handed him the electronic key that had opened this door; the same key that would lead them outside. "Stay behind us."

Chuck accepted the device looking scared, as if he thought he had taken a great responsibility, and Thomas rubbed his shoulder in a consoling matter to help him feel better.

"It's okay." Teresa said gently while tying her long hair back. "Just stick with me."

"Once we're through, it will activate and the door will open," Thomas informed them with a serious tone in his voice, his grip on his spear tightening. "We stay close, we stick together, we get through this. We get out _now_…or we die trying," he concluded balling his hand into a fist to show his determination. "Ready?"

Instead of a verbal response, the Gladers nodded and drew their weapons, ready to fight for the rights that had been taken away from them; to avenge all the friends they had lost to depression or Grievers during these three years.

"Alright. Let's go!"

At Thomas's signal, everyone rushed forward, leaving battle cries and running with all their speed towards the Griever, which too approached them with its creepy sounds. They clashed together, the teenagers' weapons violently colliding with the Griever's body, trying to find a sensitive spot that would destroy it. Some even fell down from the impact, yet quickly stood up when hearing Newt's encouraging "Get up, look out!" to participate in the fight again. Spears attempted to pierce it through and through, knives aimed at its legs, which was one of the most dangerous parts of this machine due to the sting that would cause the Changing, all of them trying to get passed it unscathed.

"Push it!" Thomas yelled, realizing that one way to defeat it would be throwing it back into the chasm that lingered on both sides of the bridge.

The Griever wouldn't make things easy for them, though, and when it started swinging its scorpion-like legs over their heads, it was obvious that they would be very lucky if they managed to escape from its fangs, let alone kill it. One of its legs would almost grab Eve if she hadn't dodged just in time, slicing the leg with her blade right afterwards, ignoring the sweat running on her forehead and concentrating on the fierce battle. Unfortunately, another Glader wasn't so lucky, getting trapped in a deathly grip and being thrown right into the hole, without anyone rushing into his aid on time. The monster, baring its large teeth, pierced with a mechanical leg the ground right in front of Teresa, who quickly cut it with her own knife; it fell right on Chuck, knocking the key away from him and sending it near the edge.

"The key!" he exclaimed and hurried to fetch it, ignoring Teresa calling out his name and running after him to help him, warning him to watch the edge himself. The twelve-year-old barely caught it, almost tumbling down the deep abyss, but the sight of more Grievers climbing up the concrete was much more terrifying for him. "Oh, no," he whimpered, but Teresa grabbing the back of his shirt was a huge relief.

"I got you, Chuck!"

"Pull me up, pull me up!" the little boy cried out, knowing that he had to warn his friends that they were confronting more than one threat here.

"Come on," Teresa said as they ran to the rest of the group, while two more monsters reached the bridge, just when the others had managed to achieve their goal and push the Griever down the hole.

"Thomas! Thomas!" Chuck shouted and that caught everyone's attention.

"Chuck?" Thomas uttered, but this was the only thing he could say before the Grievers approached them.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! We got more coming!" Eve yelled in frustration, preparing her knife again and trying to muster as much energy as she could, fighting the exhaustion she had started to feel.

_Oh, no, not now! If you wanna live to see the outside world, you'll endure this!_

They resumed their fighting again, giving Chuck and Teresa the time and space they needed to get to the panels that were blocking the exit. The key activated them, lifting them up into the air and revealing the last obstacle that was standing between them and freedom.

"It works!" Chuck commented happily, relieved that at least something good was coming out of this. He and the black-haired girl turned back to the others, who were still fighting valiantly, facing the dilemma to proceed or to go back and help them, although Thomas quickly solved said dilemma himself.

"Teresa, go!" he yelled, wanting to keep both of them safe and for them to see how this key actually worked. "Don't back down, keep pushing!" he turned to the other Gladers, still attempting to kill the huge creatures.

"Stay together!" came the next advice, this time coming from Newt.

"It's not like we have anywhere else to go—SHUCK!" Eve's reply was cut off by a leg tightly wrapping itself around her ankle, knocking her to the ground and dragging her towards the beast, which already aimed with its sting at her. She fought with all her strength to get away from it, tried to cut the leg with her knife, but to no avail.

"Eve, no!" Newt yelled, fear grabbing him and he started rushing to assist her, but the second Griever was in his way and he pushed it violently with his machete. Thomas jumped into action quickly, slicing the leg around Eve's ankle with a swift move, the sharp fang being unwrapped and tossed away.

"Thanks, Thomas!" she patted him on the arm after allowing him to help her up and joined the battle, guessing that maybe she should pierce the Griever's head, which wasn't covered by metal, but not knowing how to reach it.

As time passed, the Grievers were biting some of their weapons and a couple of Gladers had fallen victims to them; some had even started to think that the battle was lost and that they should start retreating.

"Thomas!" Teresa's voice joined the mess; she and Chuck were having difficulties on their part as well, since the door wouldn't open at once. "There's a code! Eight numbers!"

"Eight sections of the maze." Thomas muttered to himself as he went on battling. Suddenly realization came to him and he turned to the other Runner, remembering what he had told him in the Map Room. "Hey, Minho! What's the sequence?"

"What?"

"The sections of the maze, what's the sequence?" Thomas elaborated as quickly as he could.

"Seven! One!" Minho started and Teresa, following his words, pressed the matching buttons on the electronic code of the door. "Five! Two! Six! Four!"

"Heads up!" Newt warned them in a sudden and, at the same moment, a Griever fell down from the ceiling, landing right on Minho and almost crushing him.

"Minho!" Chuck screamed, sounding hoarse from the yelling and the fear of the past minutes.

Minho held up his spear to protect himself from the Griever's teeth which threatened to tear him to pieces, although the desperate "Get off me!" cry was just a small hint of the real terror he was feeling right now. Seeing the grave situation, Jeff rushed to his aid, stabbing the creature's head with his own weapon, giving the Runner the time to crawl back to the others and stand up. The Griever's teeth bit right in the med-jack's body, the boy leaving painful screams.

"Jeff!" Winston shouted and wanted to go and help him, only to be stopped by Minho, who had placed an arm around his shoulder, both to get up and to stop him from sacrificing himself as well. Jeff and the Griever were blocked by three others that started crawling towards them.

"We gotta go, now, otherwise we're all dead!" Eve yelled and she, together with the rest of the Gladers, started walking backwards indeed, towards the hole that hid the coded exit Teresa and Chuck were still trying to solve.

"Minho, what's the sequence? Come on!" the latter insisted, staring scared back at the teenagers joining them and at the Grievers quickly following.

"Six! Four!" Minho repeated the last two numbers he had mentioned in case they hadn't inserted them before going on. "Eight! Three! You got it?"

"Keep holding!" Thomas told them as they continued pushing the Grievers away from the hole, hoping that the stone panels would close now that the code was complete, securing them from the monstrous robots that were attacking them. "Almost there, come on!"

"The door opened!" Minho exclaimed, seeing the red circles on it turning bright green and the word 'COMPLETE' in the middle. At the same time, the panels did indeed close, trapping two of the Grievers between them and squishing the last one thanks to Thomas throwing his spear at it, leaving only a mess under it.

"These shanks are disgusting both alive and dead," was the only thing Eve could say before the hole closed, bringing complete darkness around them.

* * *

For a couple of seconds nothing happened and the brunette girl started to feel uncomfortable, unable as she was to see anything in the dark surrounding them. Her breathing became uneven, her head was spinning and she started sweating, as if the dark made her panic. Just as she fought against the dizziness packing her, a screeching sound was heard and a stray of light shone in the hole, relieving her and helping her feel better at once. It was Teresa, who had opened a large, metallic door and they entered a corridor that seemed endless, half-lit and with pipes all around.

"Did you see that yesterday, during the Changing?" Eve asked Thomas, her voice sounding soft in the silence that lingered. At the elder boy's nod she smiled slightly, sensing that they were on the right path.

As if their presence had activated some mechanism, lamps switched on all across the corridor, filling the area with a mechanic sound that stopped mere seconds later and bathing it in a light that didn't give warmth, on the contrary, it made everything colder, combined with this creepy silence that wasn't even broken by their breaths. Eve shook her head, not knowing what she expected: the Creators attacking them or people leading them to some room to explain why exactly all this has happened, but this deserted place was surely a big surprise. It was as if everything had stopped from the moment they escaped; this experiment that had lasted for three years, the tests they had been undergoing ever since their childhood; it was as if the Creators didn't care about their fates anymore since they had left the Glade.

"C'mon, let's go this way." Thomas suggested and they took the left side, curious and simultaneously fearful of what they would face, stricken by the losses they had suffered at the battle against the Grievers and angry at those responsible for everything.

They arrived at a door with the inscription 'EXIT' over it and Eve left a slight scoff, together with Frypan's sarcastic "Seriously?". After all the trouble the Runners had been through, after everything that had occurred the past days, after all attempts to get out of the maze and discover some sort of clue, a simple 'EXIT' sign would provide them with the answers? No matter their cautiousness, though, they had reached a part where they _had_ to move on and so Thomas opened the door carefully, revealing a corridor with fainter illumination than the previous one and the sound of an alarm giving a scary tone to the whole atmosphere. Bodies of people with white lab coats were spread here and there, covered with blood that littered even the walls, making all of them shudder. Apparently, these people belonged to the Creators, judging from their clothing that reminded them of scientists, but how on earth had they ended up dead and was it a simple coincidence that they had died just when the teenagers had managed to leave the Glade?

In a smaller room to their right, with a fence both blocking the access and allowing them to see what was inside, stood two metal tables with bodies laying on them as well, covered with blood-stained sheets. Chuck quickly looked away, alarmed by this sight, and Newt, noticing Minho staring at the corpses in horror, pushed him gently away, past the body of a man on black clothing with a revolver in his hand, while Winston wondered out loud what had happened here. Eve wanted to follow them, but saw that Teresa was still standing in front of the fence, blankly looking at the two lifeless people inside, and approached her, wanting to know what was in her head.

"Tom and I were with them, Eve," she whispered, sensing the younger girl's presence next to her. "We did this to all of you… We were with them…"

"Exactly, you _were_." Eve replied steadily, determined to make Teresa see her point. "But do you remember what Newt said, back in the Glade? The people we were before the maze don't exist anymore! You _were_ working with the Creators, yes, but ever since we joined the Gladers you've been trying to help them, so don't feel guilty, okay? Right now we all need to be strong in order to face the true world. Let's not have qualms about something we did in a past we can't remember."

Teresa looked at her and her expression became less sad, more hopeful, and she nodded, glad that her friend wasn't accusing her of being behind all this, behind this experiment and the deaths that had occurred. It would be difficult to get over the guilt, of course, but the understanding the others had shown towards her and Thomas, despite the horrible truth, was a great help.

"You coming, girls?" Clint's voice echoed in the corridor, causing them to jump startled.

"Yeah, of course." Eve assured him and the two girls followed the boys in a large laboratory that was empty, except more corpses on the ground, also dressed in white coats. The room was filled with computer screens, some broken and some intact, and the small group walked around, throwing intent looks at the screens, hoping to find some answers there. Newt and Frypan stopped in front of a desk with two screens, the lower of which was showing the human brain and the higher one the familiar sight of the Glade, which they had known so well—and everything they had been suspecting was proven right.

"So they _were_ watching us." Newt sounded betrayed as he spoke, feeling more used than he had ever felt, with the exception of his failed suicide attempt. It was all true; he had guessed from the beginning that someone was observing them, but seeing it with his own eyes made everything more real and much worse. "This whole time."

A gentle, yet brief caress on his back brought a small smile on his face, the kind gesture being the reminder that he wasn't alone in all this. Steps walked away from him, but at the next moment he heard Eve leaving a loud gasp of surprise that caught both his and Frypan's attention and the two of them quickly went to her, worried about what had distressed her so much. Eve was staring at a screen that showed a younger version of her, although she hadn't changed much; her face was simply more childish and her hair was slightly shorter, yet her eyes were staring angrily at whoever had created her profile, just like she was getting angry whenever the Creators were mentioned. The real source of her surprise, though, soon became clear to Newt and Fry: the words 'Property of Wicked' written in large white letters on the top of the screen.

"Property…That's what we were to them," the young girl hissed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, unable to hold back her fury. "Not children, not people with rights and feelings, just _property_ they could mess with however they liked."

"If Wicked is how the Creators call themselves, they have bloody self-awareness!" Newt commented and stared at Eve's profile again. "You don't look elder than thirteen here, Eve… Maybe that's when they decided that you would go to the Glade…as the last experiment," he added softly, sensing how painful this was for her.

"And from the moment they decided when we would go up, they had been planning everything…everything concerning us, to the last detail," Eve pointed at the information next to her picture, reading out loud. "'Subject: A4'. 'Subject Name: Eve'. 'Type: Immune'. 'Additional Information: Will be the last one to be sent to the Glade, as a final experiment in order for the other subjects' reaction to the first and only girl in their group to be tested. Named after Eve, the first woman on Earth, who committed the original sin and caused holy wrath'."

"Some namesake you have, Greenie." Frypan teased her in an attempt to ease the tension, but stopped talking when he saw her troubled, eyes still focused on the screen.

"Everything planned, damn it," she repeated in a whispery voice that sounded more angrily than it would be if she had shouted it. "Everything… Calling us 'properties' and 'subjects', giving us numbers…hell, even connecting our names to our _namesakes_!"

She leaned forward, put her fists on the desk and lowered her head; the anger was boiling inside her so intently that she was one step before smashing something in there; and, at the same time, she was ashamed that Newt and Frypan were seeing her like this. The blond on the other hand did what he had previously done with Minho: he placed a hand on her arm and gently guided her away from the screen that had angered her so much, softly muttering "Come on" and "It's okay" in her ear, satisfied when he saw that his voice had a positive impact on her. He owed this to her, after all; she had comforted him more than once, casting her own distress away for the others' sake; the least he could do for her was comforting her in return now that she needed it. Eve nodded and smiled at him, a way to say that she would be alright.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Teresa were observing the screens at the centre of the lab, standing across from each other with only a glass separating them. It reminded Thomas so much of the memories the Griever poison had brought back, that it was as if they were replicas of how they were in the past; with the huge difference that now they were on their friends' side. They exchanged looks that held the same meaning: that they were feeling bad about whatever they had done for Wicked and the promise that now they were sticking together, the two of them and the others. Thomas pressed a red dot that was glowing on the screen and a video started playing, showing the same blond woman that haunted his visions.

"Hello," she said, startling them and making everyone gather next to Thomas and Teresa to watch. "My name is Doctor Ava Paige. I'm Director of Operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department."

"Wicked," Eve hissed, recognizing the initials, but got silent again, impatient to see what the woman would say; she had connected what Thomas had told them after waking up and had assumed that this was the woman who had decided that she would be the last experiment of the Glade.

"If you're watching this, that means you have successfully completed the Maze Trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you, but circumstances seem to have prevented it." Dr. Paige went on. "I'm sure by now, you must all be very confused…angry…frightened."

"You don't say." Minho scoffed, shaking his head and believing that this woman had some audacity to talk about how they were feeling, when it was _her_ who was behind all this in the first place.

"I can only assure you that everything that's happened to you, everything we've _done_ to you, it was all done for a reason. You won't remember, but the Sun has scorched our world. Billions of lives lost to fire…famine…suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable," the woman explained and they watched in shock as horrible images were shown: images of entire areas burning and falling to ruin and piles of dead and burnt bodies; Thomas even looked away for a few seconds due to the dreadful pictures, but raised his head at the sound of Ava's voice. "What came after was worse. We called it the Flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain," she informed them.

This time the video showed how this virus influenced the human organism; people who had fallen victim to it acting like crazy, being totally deformed, as if they weren't humans anymore.

"It is violent…unpredictable…incurable; or so we thought," the image of the lab and the doctor appeared again on the screen. "In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure."

_'__Type: Immune'_, Eve recalled what she had read on her profile and everything was clear for her. _So is that why we went through everything? Is that why they used us as lab rats, taking us away from our families and erasing our memories?_

"But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed inside harsh environments, where their brain activity could be studied," the woman continued and Thomas looked at Teresa: so _that_ was what they were doing while working for Wicked. "All in an effort to understand what makes them different; what makes _you_ different. You may not realize it, but you're very important. Unfortunately, your trials have only just begun. As you will no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods."

The background behind the blonde changed; while until now it was showing scientists walking around and talking to each other, now a screen broke, as if they were under attack, and someone fell down as if shot. Eve's eyebrows narrowed. Had this video been shot just before they got here? Was that the explanation?

"Progress is slow, people are scared. It may be too late for us…for _me_…" Dr. Paige stated sadly as soldiers behind her invaded the room, shooting everywhere, "but not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember," she concluded while the glass of her personal office was being crystallized from the shots and held a gun against her temple, making the Gladers gasp, "Wicked is good."

A gunshot was heard and the video stopped, most of them closing their eyes, not wanting to see her dying. Thomas, walking past the others, stood in front of the glass that separated the lab from another room. Everyone followed him curiously and observed the lifeless body of the blond woman they had seen in the video; of the woman who had overthrown their lives and the lives of so many other children; of the woman because of whom they couldn't remember anything from their past.

A mechanic noise snapped them from their thoughts and they saw a door opening, revealing a dark corridor that led to another door; probably the door to the outside world. They stared at it, none of them daring to take that first step, the wish for freedom and the fear of the unknown, together with what Dr. Paige had told them, being too much for them.

"Is it over?" Chuck asked, as if he still couldn't believe that only one month after being sent to the Glade he would go back to the world he was taken from.

"She said we were important." Newt said, trying to find a solution. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"She also said that the world outside has been destroyed by the Sun. And since we can't remember anything, who knows what we'll find out there." Eve agreed; of course she didn't expect safety and her parents, but they were practically in the dark.

"I don't know." Thomas whispered and turned to the door again. "Let's get out of here."

They had barely made a step, when a familiar voice saying "No" startled them. Turning around they saw Gally; the Builder had somehow followed them, having gotten past the Grievers, and was now standing there with the electronic key in one hand and a gun in the other.

"Gally?" Thomas gasped and wanted to walk towards him, only to be stopped by Teresa, who put an arm on his shoulder.

"Don't. He's been stung."

Only then did Eve see the veins that were visible on Gally's neck, same with the ones she had seen on Alby. His whole body was shaking and he struggled with something that seemed a lot like tears as he dropped the key on the floor.

"We can't leave," he tearfully told them with an expression that showed how much he was suffering, the gun in his hand trembling and giving them a bad feeling.

"We did. Gally, we're out." Thomas said quietly to not irritate him more; since he already got angry easily, things would be worse now that he was stung. "We're free."

"Free? You think we're free out there? No. No, there's no escape from this place." Gally laughed ironically and pointed his gun at them. Some gasped in fear and Thomas raised his hands in a calming gesture, staying calm to not trigger even more extreme reactions.

"Gally, listen to me. You're not thinking straight. You're not. Now, we can help you. Just put down the gun."

"Eve, step away." Minho hissed at Eve, who was standing right in front of him, his voice only heard by the girl, whose eyes met his puzzled. When she saw, though, that he had grabbed his spear, she understood his motives, nodded once and took a few steps to the left to give him a better access in case things would escalate.

"I belong to the maze." Gally stated, tightening his hold on the gun.

"Just put down the gun." Thomas tried for one more time to reason with him.

"We all do."

A mess occurred; screams of "Gally!", a gunshot, Chuck pushing Thomas and Minho throwing his spear, which stabbed the Builder right on the chest. He fell on the ground, groaning in pain and taking shallow breaths before stopping moving at all, simply lying there, completely lifeless. The group of teenagers stared at him in shock, unable to believe that someone they had known for such a long time would end up like that, until Chuck gasping Thomas's name drew their attention to the little boy and at the red spot that was slowly spreading across his chest.

"Oh, no." Eve whispered, falling on her knees as Thomas caught him and helped him lay on the ground, the little boy already shaking with spasms. The sixteen-year-old girl looked at Clint, their med-jack, only to meet his regretful gaze and realize that there was nothing they could do to save him; at this conclusion her green-brown eyes filled with tears she didn't bother to wipe away.

"Look at me, look at me." Thomas rambled frantically, shocked at the sight of the first Glader he actually called a friend being on the bridge of death; of this boy who was always cheerful and had supported him as if he was an elder brother for him. "Oh, shit! Chuck, look at me, alright? I got you, buddy, just hang on."

"It's okay." Chuck replied with the hint of a smile and Eve almost left a sob at these words: he was clearly dying, he was afraid and still he was trying to give him courage. She placed his head on her lap, ruffling his curly hair, not knowing what the hell she should do, and the first tears ran on her cheeks.

"C'mon, Chuckie, please, not now, not now that we made it…c'mon, you have to live, to see the outside world," she pleaded him. She knew she sounded weaker than she had ever sounded before, but right now she didn't want to appear as strong in front of the others; right now she only cared about their little friend, whom they were losing so suddenly and so prematurely.

"Thomas…Thomas…" Chuck panted, handing him a small wooden figurine. Thomas, understanding at once, covered the other boy's hand with his, his words coming out more and more panicked with every second that was passing.

"No, no, Chuck, you're gonna give it to them yourself. Remember, I told you that!"

"Take it," he whispered, giving the figurine to his friend and smiling him with tears in his own eyes. "Thank you. Thank you," he added before going totally still.

"No, Chuck, you're gonna get…" Thomas started, but cut off himself when he saw how motionless he was and started shaking him, hoping that this was just a bad dream. "Chuck. Chuck? Hey! Hey, Chuck, come on! Come on, wake up!"

And at this point Eve burst into tears as well, blocking out all sounds, Thomas's pleas and apologies, the others' crying, and fully succumbed to the sobs that had been choking her all these minutes. She cried for the little boy who was the light of the Glade with his jokes and whose life had been taken away so cruelly; she cried for all those who had been killed by the Grievers yesterday and today; she even cried for all of them, for everything they had been through for the sake of a shucking experiment. She covered her face with a palm, faintly hearing the others' attempts to hide their tears, the grief and the exhaustion overwhelming her to a point that she was about to faint.

Only another sound broke past her sadness and her loud crying: the sound of a door opening and running steps approaching them fast. The next moment someone yanked her abruptly on her feet and instinctively she tried to push them away, believing that it was someone from Wicked who wanted to experiment further on her, but this 'someone' held her wrist in a kinder way than she expected.

"Don't worry, girl, you're with friends now," an armed man told her politely and pushed her forward, towards a bright light outside the door. "Come on, come on, we have to go!"

"Chuck…Thomas…" she said, wanting to turn around, to throw a final look at the former…to make sure that the latter wouldn't stay behind.

"We won't leave your friend here, we'll bring him, now _go_!" the stranger said urgently and pushed her even more towards the exit.

She ran with the others across a desert, the sand crunching under her dark red sneakers, feeling the dry air and the heat of the sun on her face. The soldiers led them to a helicopter that was already waiting and helped them to get inside. Eve fell down gracelessly near the door, with Newt sitting down next to her, the others behind them or by the window and Thomas joining them soon afterwards, sitting at Newt's other side. Once they had made sure that all of them were in, a man sat down across from Eve, while another closed the door so that the flight to the unknown could start.

"You guys alright?" the man wanted to know, smiling consolingly at them. "Don't worry. You're safe now."

The helicopter flew off and they stretched their heads to look outside, curious to see where exactly they had lived this whole time. It was a huge labyrinth, a network of machinery and buildings, the maze, which seemed much smaller than they had estimated it to be, and, at the center, the green meadow of the Glade, still smoking from the fires that had been lit during the encounter with the Grievers the previous night. In a sudden, yesterday's events looked as if they had happened much earlier, in another life; as if, with the start of their flight, the life in the Glade had never existed.

Eve realized that her hands were trembling; from the sadness, from the shock, from the adrenaline, she couldn't know. To occupy them, she lifted a bit of her black pants to inspect if the Griever's leg that had almost dragged her to death had injured her at all. Thanks goodness, it was bleeding only a little, although the trace of the mechanical leg around her ankle could still be seen, and, when she touched it, she felt a sharp pain like a sting, but it was nothing serious and she covered it again.

Everyone sat back down as everything came down on them; for some it was three years, for some fewer and for Thomas, Teresa and Eve it was just a few days. But the time of their stay in the Glade was the least; they had all been victims of the same test and they had come out alive and with terrible losses. Now everyone would have their time to reminisce about everything they had lived and fully realize what had happened: that it was indeed over.

It was too much for Eve and it was almost impossible to her that she had woken up only two days ago; for her it seemed much longer. No matter how much she had tried to have faith for the others, right now she had reached her limits. Involuntarily, she laid her head on Newt's shoulder, moving a few inches to be closer to him: after all their conversations, after fighting together, after sharing thoughts and theories and after escaping alive, she needed to make sure that he was _there_ and assure him in return that she was there too. Newt was surprised, not being used in such forms of intimacy, but accepted it and the same warmth she had given him when she had slept by his side came back. She was there, like Thomas, Minho and all the others—worn out, tired, but there.

"You alright?" he asked her softly, the feeling of her breath on his neck being an unexpected and welcome balsam for him.

Eve didn't answer at once, thinking about his question. The truth was that she didn't know _how_ she was: she had woken up the day before yesterday, surrounded by at least thirty boys and a girl with no memory except her name, she had expressed her suspicions about what the Glade and the maze could be, she had taken part in fierce battles, she had found out what her role in this experiment was and she had witnessed the deaths of many teenagers, including those of Jeff and Chuck, whom she liked and considered a friend respectively; all this were causing her such a fierce guilt for not being able to help more, such an immense grief, such an exhaustion, that 'alright' surely didn't describe her situation accurately.

But she was also _free_! Free of an experiment that had tormented so many teenagers for three years and that had used her in every way possible. She was with friends, with Newt, Teresa, Thomas, Minho, Winston and Frypan; with people with whom she had fought for her freedom. She had been rescued by men who had assured them that they were safe now. And all this couldn't be ignored, creating an emotional turmoil in her that prevented her from giving Newt an actual answer.

"I'm fine," was what she said, though, not wanting to give him one more reason to worry after everything they had lived.

Newt wasn't convinced, of course, realizing the meaning behind her words. It was understandable; right now they all were in a very vulnerable state, trying to process a lot of things at the same time. He sighed and stroke her arm in a way to comfort her and tell her that, even if she wasn't fine, she would soon be and that he would see to that.

"Relax, kid," their rescuer spoke again. "Everything is gonna change."

And it was this declaration that brought a small smile upon Eve's face; this promise that all the terrors had reached their end and that their traumas would close sooner or later. This promise made her think that, in the end, maybe the answer she had given to Newt wasn't such a big fat lie in the end.

Thomas, on the other hand, still overwhelmed, clutching Chuck's token in his hand, turned to look at Teresa, at the one with whom he had worked for Wicked with all these consequences. She offered him a sad smile, not her usual fiery one; this one was full of understanding for his pain and full of the assurance that they would correct all the mistakes they had done in the past.

Now it was up to all of them to make sure that everything _would _change.

**A/N: So, another chapter has come to an end, guys, I really hope you liked it! Stay tuned, because our heroes enter the Scorch from the next chapter and, as the trailer stated, the maze was only the beginning ;) Love you all!**


	10. Beginning of a new life

**A/N: Hello, everyone, Gladers, Immunes, Cranks, WICKED agents, members of the Right Arm and Grievers (hope I didn't forget anyone) ;) After so many months of absence, here we are agai, I really hope you will like the new chapter. Just a few notes before we get started:**

**1) Because of the confusion of the Gladers' fight against the Grievers, I let Clint survive although we didn't see him in the second movie...and I think I'm gonna keep him alive because a med-jack is always useful.**

**2) Due to the big differences of the second movie from the second book of The Maze Runner Trilogy, I'm planning to keep this story movie-verse from now on and the same will go to the "Death Cure". However, after I finish "My life-line", I'm planning to write something like an AU to this story, picking up from where we left our heroes in the first movie and continuing book-verse from that point.**

**sailorangelmoon1- Thank you very much, I'm really glad you like the story :D**

**FireOfInspiration- Well, it wasn't really soon, I'm really sorry for that. But I haven't forsaken you, I hope you will like the update :)**

**Annie- Thank you very much for your review, I'm glad you like Eve :)**

**Disclaimer: The Maze Runner series don't belong to me in any way**

The sun was about to set, its last beams bathing the helicopter and the small crowd in a warm light that was almost strange given what had occurred a few hours ago. A heavy silence had fallen over the Gladers as they flew over the endless desert, each teenager lost in restless thoughts they didn't want to share. The air was filled with the sadness, the relief and the exhaustion every one of them was feeling, some sighs here and there, a small whimper from someone who couldn't hold their tears back, the sound of another moving a little in an attempt to get more confortable. Frypan, Clint and a younger boy whose name Eve didn't know had fallen asleep, trying to find some comfort in their dreams and gain strength for whatever awaited them in their destination; Eve, on the other hand, had dozed off for the past hour and had just woken up after a restless dream including WICKED, Chuck and Grievers chasing them. Her head was still resting on Newt's shoulder as the blond didn't seem to mind; he had spent their journey thinking so far, about the previous years, about the struggle to freedom; he was also looking at the others from time to time: at Minho, who was somehow in a trance, silent and with a Are-we-seriously-free-now smile on his face, at Thomas, who had was staring in front of him with a guilty expression, unable to forgive himself for all the things he had done for WICKED and for Alby and Chuck's deaths, and at Eve, whose eyes had opened abruptly while she was taking deep breaths to calm down.

"Bad dream?" he wanted to know, his voice not louder than a gentle whisper, as he didn't want to disturb the others; she had looked quite troubled during her light sleep, in contrast to this morning, moments before waking up, when she was peaceful and innocent, as if she had felt relaxed for the first time since arriving in the Glade.

"It's okay," she replied equally quietly, slightly rubbing her eyes to chase the dizziness and hints of sleep away. It had absolutely no sense to complain or talk about something she had dreamt about; something that had already happened and couldn't be changed, no matter how much she wished to. With a sigh she raised her head and looked outside, to the desert they were crossing, with the destroyed buildings littering it here and there. "I'm awake now, right? Doesn't matter anymore."

Newt stared at her concerned; at the way she avoided his gaze, at how she refused to talk about what had haunted her dreams, at the way she shut herself out by putting distance between them, even this small one. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he had liked how they were a lot: after all that turmoil, having someone he trusted and considered a friend so close to him was the best medicine he could wish for; her head on his shoulder and the audible sound of her breathing had brought him a comfort he couldn't describe; the assurance that both of them had made it out alive and would be next to each other for whatever would come next.

Because, no matter how hopeful Newt wanted to be, no matter how much he wanted to believe that they would go to a safe place, there was still that small part of him that was cautious about the future: the fear he had expressed to Eve the night of her arrival, that more struggles awaited them out of the maze, was _there_, lurking beneath the surface, combined with what that blond woman, Ava Paige, had said about the fact that their trials had just begun. He could only be prepared for their destination and hope that the mysterious soldiers were people who would help them escape from WICKED's clutches.

A shuffling coming from his left side turned his gaze away from Eve and he saw Thomas lying down, folding his legs and resting his head on some old jackets that were sprawled in the helicopter, hiding Chuck's token under them to make sure he wouldn't lose it. After taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to relax and forget his sadness and worries for the moment, the seventeen-year-old closed his eyes, hoping to get some rest before arriving wherever they were heading to.

"That's right, Greenie, get your beauty sleep, you look like absolute klunk." Minho commented with a smirk, trying—and slightly achieving—to ease the tension that could be cut with a knife, because Newt and Thomas chuckled and even Eve, who was still looking out of the window, smiled a little. It was obvious that Minho was strongly affected by what had happened, but it was in his nature to try and deal with all this using his trademark sarcasm.

"Didn't know you cared about how I look like, Minho; should I be flattered?" Thomas responded tiredly, receiving a light, good-hearted punch on the arm from the Keeper of the Runners—in fact, could they still use the titles in the Glade now that they had escaped? Would their roles there follow them even now, a constant reminder of what they had lived and what they had suffered to end up here?

"Oh, just go to sleep; and try to improve your humor while you're at it, will you?"

"And you try to improve the way you address others, Minho; if you think about it, Thomas isn't the Greenie anymore, Teresa and I have this honor." Eve uttered and her voice had some small hints of her old sarcasm, despite the tiredness and confusion that was obvious in her tone. Newt chuckled again, relief overwhelming him: of course would Eve be alright, she just needed some proper rest and she would be back to her normal self, just like she had faced everything with composure and strength. Eve herself, on the other hand, despite the exhaustion and the grief she and the others were feeling at the moment, _needed_ this sarcasm of hers more than ever, to help her stay sane and not succumb to the negative thoughts circling her mind.

"Yeah, but you arrived two days later, what a huge difference." Minho replied, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the girl, who refused to turn around. "And we didn't even throw the bonfire feast we used to have every month, to welcome the newbies. Some fun, Gally giving us his mysterious drink—"

"Too bad we missed that, then," the brunette answered and, after that, fell in a complete silence again, while the boys respected that she needed her space right now and left her in peace, except Newt, who briefly squeezed her shoulder to let her know that everything would be okay.

Eve's mind was indeed a mess, thoughts and images dancing like crazy in her mind: of everything she had learned about WICKED and why the Glade was created, of the fights she had been through, of everyone she had met; and the noises the others were leaving, the sighs, the hushed conversations, the shuffling as they tried to make themselves comfortable, were keeping her from going completely mental. But as the sun set entirely, painting the sky in a threatening black, and no lights were switched on in the helicopter, everything in her mind became a fogged blur as she had the impression she would suffocate at any second. The familiar dizziness she had felt before whenever she was surrounded by complete darkness—when she was in the Box and in that small hole in the maze, before entering the corridor that had led them to WICKED's lab—packed her once more and she hid her head in her knees, trying to control her ragged breathing.

_Just what the hell is wrong with me? Why is this happening whenever it gets dark?_

She tightly hugged her legs and closed her eyes as a massive headache made her feel that she would faint and her whole body started shaking. She could faintly hear the soldier seated opposite her asking what was going on, Teresa calling out for her worriedly and sense Newt next to her placing a hand on her back, wanting to help her relax and breathe calmer, but to no avail. In fact, her grip around her legs tightened even more, as the sixteen-year-old desperately sought a life-line, something to hold her to reality in the darkness that surrounded both the helicopter and her mind.

"…almost there…" even their savior's voice couldn't defeat the panic that had started overwhelming her, barely heard; Eve was feeling so vulnerable and weak at the moment, that she wasn't able to wonder what 'there' was.

"…try to breathe, come on, just breathe…" came the next attempt from Newt; the blond, concerned about his friend's situation, tried to soothe her, remembering that it had worked when she had panicked in her coma, before waking up in the Glade. This time, though, not even this worked, since Eve seemed completely freaked out and Newt's only hope was that the stranger was right and their destination wasn't far away. Until then, he decided to comfort her silently, drawing invisible patterns on Eve's back and slightly patting it. He had even started to wonder whether this distress of hers due to the darkness was a result of the tests she had been through in WICKED's hands before arriving at the Glade; it wouldn't surprise him, considering everything he had learned from that video they had seen in the lab a couple of hours earlier.

No one could calculate how much time passed, but suddenly lights appeared on the ground, revealing a huge building complexion that stood in the middle of the desert, with large walls; all in all, it gave the impression that it secluded those who lived there from the outside world. Some of the Gladers threw nervous glances at it, both impatient to reach it and anxious to see what was awaiting them. Now that they had arrived, the fear for the unknown began to truly sink in; the Glade was like a prison, a trial, anything but home, but it was also something familiar; from the moment they escaped, they knew literally nothing.

A screeching scream-like noise was heard, startling all teenagers, making Eve raise her head from her knees and evoking a string of curses from one of the soldiers, who readied his weapon. "What's going on?" Newt wanted to know, shaking Frypan awake at the same time; his friend jolted up with a gasp, as if he didn't remember where he was and what had happened.

"Damn it! A whole bunch of Cranks is waiting for us down there!" the pilot yelled so loudly, that his voice covered the noise of the machine. "What do we do?"

"Proceed to landing! Everyone, be prepared to face them once we land! And _you_, guys," the man turned towards them, "the moment we land run as fast as you can towards the building if you wanna live to see tomorrow, got it?"

"Just tell us what the shucking hell is going on, already! What are Cranks?!" Clint demanded angrily, but the soldier didn't pay him any attention, too focused on the problem. The Gladers who were sleeping during the journey, disturbed by the commotion, rubbed their eyes, wondering what was happening, and they all looked out of the window, deciding to follow the man's command and run to safety once they would reach solid ground. For some odd reason, Thomas hadn't woken up, completely shut away in his dream, the loud sounds around them unable to break through; Eve, having forgotten her dizziness and panic due to the adrenaline and the survival instinct kicking in, placed a hand on his shoulder and shook it lightly.

"Thomas, come on, no time to sleep now! Wake up, for God's sake!"

"Thomas! Thomas!" Minho tried next, shoving his friend's shoulder much harder than Eve had done. "Thomas, wake up!"

Little did they know that Thomas was once again lost in one of those vision-like dreams he had in the Glade—the dreams that had triggered his curiosity about the past he couldn't remember and about how they had landed in the Glade. Whether it was the serum of the Griever that had caused the Changing or if he simply had this ability because he used to work with WICKED was still a mystery, but this specific memory wasn't about Teresa warning him that everything would change or about the blond woman—Ava Paige—telling him that WICKED was good.

This memory had travelled him years back.

* * *

_The scenery was creepy, sending chills down the little boy's spine. Snowflakes were dancing in the wind, eerily bathed in the light of the large lamps that had been built around the area that was surrounded by an electrical fence. It was filled with people that made him feel almost trapped; some of them had masks on their faces, some hadn't, but all of them were staring towards the same direction; the gate that led outside the safe zone, next to a sign that read "WARNING: Restricted area". They were gesturing furiously, screaming and shouting and a dog was barking in the distance, but the boy had shut all noises off, too scared and confused to figure out what they were saying anyway. His eyes were wildly scanning the area, focusing on some strange men in protective uniforms with the initials WCKD on the sleeve and gas masks on their faces, standing at some corners and observing the crowd; then he turned in front of him again as he approached the gate, a woman with brown hair and eyes full of fear carrying him in her arms, making way between those blocking their path. _

_At some point they made it to the front and she desperately made a gesture towards the guards standing there, as if pleading them to wait for her while she released the boy from her arms, knelt in front of him and looked at him with a fearful and guilty gaze. More men in protective suits appeared, heading towards them and now the boy could see a train waiting several feet away; he wondered who all these men were and why that train was there and why his mother looked so sad._

_"__Remember…I love you," she gently whispered between her tears and smiled sweetly at him, but this didn't do much to ease the boy's uneasiness; quite the contrary, tears start dwelling in his own eyes too, realizing that something would happen to him. "I love you, Thomas."_

_The next moment, a pair of strong arms lifted him up abruptly and started carrying him away. This gesture surprised and startled him so much, that he yelled for his mom, reaching out for her, but the man's grip didn't get any looser until they had approached the train and he roughly placed him inside a wagon. Thomas went from resisting to numb within seconds as the fear settled in and stared blankly out of the window and then around him even when the train departed. Other children were in the wagon with him, little boys and girls, all scared like him, and they were accompanied by more men with the WCKD initials on the sleeves and a scary-looking blond woman, who spoke to him with a soft voice._

_"__Thomas…It's okay."_

_And then, in a single second, the scenery around him changed unexpectedly, turning from the train wagon to another confided box with walls around suffocating him; and from a scared eight-year-old he became the scared seventeen-year-old who was locked up in the Box once again. He felt the familiar sense of being trapped and travelling upstairs towards unknown destinations, surrounded by various supplies and he couldn't help but scream in agony as he ascended towards the light over his head…until two voices invaded this madness, two voices he knew, belonging to a boy and a girl and landing him back to reality._

_"__Thomas, come on!" _

_"__Thomas! Thomas!"_

Thomas opened his eyes to Minho and Eve hovering over him and shaking him away, the former yelling something in the lines of "Wake up! We gotta go! Come on!" and the girl yanking his shirt collar to make him stand up, both with an expression of urgency on their faces. The sound of the helicopter reached his ears and he remembered immediately where he was and what had transpired: the escape from the maze, their mysterious saviors and their assurances that they would get them somewhere safe. His mind cleared at once, chasing away the sleepiness, and he removed Eve's hand from his shirt as they sat up; his friends, seeing that he had gotten a grip, nodded and stormed out of the helicopter with Thomas on their feet, being helped by one of the soldiers who had rescued them.

"Let's go! Let's go! We gotta go!" the man shouted and pushed him forward; among all the chaos, he could faintly see the rest of the Gladers running towards a huge building illuminated with uncountable lights. "You alright? You alright?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Thomas bellowed instead of an answer, remembering Chuck's token and ran back to the helicopter to retrieve it from his makeshift pillow, despite the man's yells that they had no time. Grabbing the wooden figure, the only thing he had from his little friend who had lost his life so tragically, he turned around again and followed the others, the elder man still urging him to get the hell away from there.

"Cranks! We got Cranks!" he turned to speak to his companions the next moment and Thomas could see a large number of weird creatures at the top of a hill nearby, approaching them with quick and uneven steps. "Gotta move! Not safe out here, kid!"

"Got a swarm to the flank!"

"Go, kid! Go, go!"

"Set a perimeter! Hold them back on the right side!"

The group of teenagers, alarmed by the sudden change of things that only added more stress to their already-existing confusion, obeyed the soldiers' orders almost automatically, heading towards the building with the men next to them for their safety, some of them even pulling their arms to make them go faster, yelling things like "Come on, kids!" and "Move it!". Their shouts, the gunshots that followed, aimed at the creatures they had called 'Cranks' and the noise of the helicopter departing in the background created a scenery of horror and shock, where they had to keep moving despite not understanding anything. They wanted to demand to know what on earth was going on, but the wish for survival had kicked in instinctively and the only thing they could do was keep running and making sure that all of them were there—a situation that was oddly familiar to the battle against the Grievers from which they had barely survived.

Thomas was the last one to enter through the large, metallic doors, right behind Frypan and the short Glader; they were in what seemed like a vast supply room, with people running up and down yelling orders and vehicles carrying all kinds of supplies. He saw the men forming up to face the Cranks threatening the facility before the doors closed and Frypan voiced the question everyone had in mind.

"What exactly is this place?"

"You there, come with me, quickly!" a voice made them jump and they spotted an elderly man gesturing wildly towards them. Deciding to leave the questions aside for now, being too confused to even make up what they should ask first, they silently agreed to do as they were told until they could talk to someone who would be able to explain everything they didn't understand. "Get inside, hurry, hurry, hurry!" he urged them when he had led them to a dark room and pushed them so that all of them would enter as soon as possible, ignoring Thomas's question about what was going on, stating that it was nothing they couldn't handle and then shutting the door close behind them.

Darkness surrounded them once more, with the exception of a dim blue light, and Eve grabbed the arm of the Glader who stood right next to her: in the faint light she could barely make out Teresa's outline, but right now she didn't even care who it was, as long as she had some sort of anchor to keep her sane in the dark. Beside the fear, though, rage had started boiling inside her, only that this time it was raged towards herself: this had gone way too far and as soon as things had settled down, she was planning to find someone responsible to solve the freaking mystery about why she was acting like that whenever it got dark.

"Hey, hey, hey, let us out!" Thomas's voice pierced her ears, but it was what she needed, keeping her grounded and focused at the situation at hand, and she took a deep breath, staring intently at the lamp that casted the blue light to keep her mind distracted from the black all around.

"Or switch on the shucking lights already!" Minho, although not sharing Eve's utter disdain for the dark, wanted some more light too, if not for any other reason, at least to see what their surroundings looked like—a trait he had gained during the three years he had spent as a Runner.

As if they were being watched and someone had heard Minho's command, lights on the ceiling switched on immediately and they were met with a very pleasant sight: a set of tables in the middle of the room forming a longer one, loaded with food that would be more than enough for twenty of them and not just the nine they were, a variety of meat, rice, vegetables and fruit that reminded everyone that they hadn't eaten anything since last night, since their supplies had been destroyed by the Grievers and it was impossible for them to make breakfast.

"Dibs on the rice!" Frypan said cheerfully and that was the clue for everyone run and grab whatever was in front of them, too impatient and hungry to even sit down for the first minutes.

When they had eaten for a while, when they settled their hunger, they also became more cheerful and soon laughter echoed throughout the room, with Winston commenting how the food was way better than Frypan's back at the Glade. And then Teresa playfully threw a portion of rice towards one of the two 'anonymous Gladers' as Eve had characterized them in her mind, which signaled the beginning of the true fun and an epic food fight. They burst out their relief to be free from the maze, their immense happiness to be together, that they acted like they should have been acting for years: like real and carefree teenagers who joked with their friends and Frypan's desperate attempts to protect the rice at all costs only to have it thrown at his face, courtesy of Eve, who couldn't stop her ringing laughter after all the confusion, the qualms and the grief.

But it is common knowledge that all good things eventually come to an end and when the laughter faded away, when they left the table to make themselves comfortable in a corner and when some of them started throwing nervous looks towards the door, that was when reality sank in again and they returned to the serious and concerned state they were in before, realizing that they still had no idea what was going on.

"I don't know who these guys are, but they can cook." Frypan said, trying to keep the atmosphere easy, but he couldn't avoid the glances that indicated that most of them were focusing on the first part; on their saviors' identity.

"Who are they really, though?" Teresa asked rhetorically, with a tired voice, and Eve shifted to rest her back better from her place next to Thomas, reminiscing about everything they had lived today: the mess at WICKED's laboratory until these men had showed up…and a part of her couldn't stop thinking that this was too coincidental to actually be a coincidence.

"Well, we know they're no friends of WICKED," Newt stated; no matter what, this was something he could be certain for. After all, the video of Ava Paige had showed the same men who had saved them fighting and eliminating the WICKED scientists and after everything Thomas had revealed them, everyone who battled against their captors was someone they could consider an ally.

_The enemies of our enemies are our friends, I suppose_, he thought, but then Eve joining the conversation as the voice of suspicion cut off any further thoughts; he could see that his friend was still cautious and he felt partly responsible for that, for he believed he had told her too many things when she had arrived. It was good for her, of course, being one of the two first girls of the Glade, scared and with memory loss, but it had also made her thinking everything trough twice and thrice, never allowing her at least one moment of rest.

"Is that enough, though?" she was saying now, her eyes travelling to each of them. "After everything we've been through, do you really think that's enough? We don't remember our lives as it is and WICKED used us like shucking objects…don't you think we deserve to at least know what's awaiting us from now on? They're WICKED's enemies, but is that enough _for us_?"

"It's good enough for me," Minho replied and sat up from the small table he was lying on, giving the impression that he was asleep. "You guys think too much. We're free! Enjoy it."

"Easier said than done, Minho. True, we're free, but it was such a hard path that it's not easy to simply enjoy it…not to mention that everything, these men appearing out of nowhere and bringing us here…it was just pure luck. It doesn't matter if you spent three years or two days in the Glade, we've all seen what WICKED is capable of…it won't be easy to relax."

Before any Glader could process her words or say anything in return, the door at the other side of the room opened with a metallic sound and they all jumped on their feet, gathering together as a man in casual clothing entered. He had dark hair that had started to turn grey and an air of superiority and arrogance as his eyes scanned the group, as if assessing their condition. "You kids doing alright?" he wanted to know, speaking calmly and smiling at them, intending to look comforting and friendly, but this smile only made him look creepier. "Sorry about all the fuss. We had ourselves a bit of a swarm."

_Yeah, we already got that, thank you very much, can we now jump to the main point, please?_ Eve addressed him mentally. It was getting more and more frustrating with every minute that passed, how everyone only demanded them to obey, to understand and to keep the questions to themselves: would no one understand _their_ state?

"What's with the Rat Man?" Minho hissed to not be heard and the two girls had to suppress the giggles that threatened to escape their lips, because Minho was somehow right, this man's appearance gave him something rat-like.

"Who are you?" Thomas asked back, avoiding 'Rat Man's' question, not only because he and the others longed for some answers, but also because he didn't know whether there was an actual answer. They had survived the ordeal of the maze and were now in a seemingly safe place where they had been offered some proper food, but they were tired, sad because of the losses they had suffered and they had no idea where they were and what would happen to them.

"I'm the reason you're all still alive," the man answered, still with that calm and comforting-wanna-be voice. "It's my intention to keep it that way. Now, come with me. We'll get you kids squared away."

They followed him across a network of corridors that reminded them of the maze; this place also had the sense that one wrong turn and you would be lost for good, never to find the correct path again. The faint sound of machines could be heard, someone was saying something in the distance and sparks were flying from cables and devices, as if their new hideout was some sort of factory—in fact, considering its size, it wouldn't be totally illogical for WICKED's enemies to built their basis in an abandoned factory.

"You can call me Mr. Janson. I run this place," the man explained and all of them nodded, finally having some useful information—although, judging from Minho's expression, he'd never get bored of the nickname he had spontaneously found for him. "For us it is a sanctuary, safe from the horrors of the outside world. You all should think of it as a way station. Kind of a home between homes. Watch yourselves," he warned them, pointing at a spot near them, where sparks flew around.

"That means you're taking us home?" Thomas's voice had a hint of intense hope and Eve's mind returned her to Ava Paige and her narration: about how the world had been destroyed by the sun and then a mysterious virus...

_And what's home, anyway? A home we don't remember, parents we don't know, birthplaces that probably don't exist anymore? It's just us right now, it's the only thing we can know for sure._

"A home of sorts. Sadly, there wouldn't be much left from wherever you came from," Janson confirmed the girl's thoughts, but the revelation wasn't something she didn't already know or something that shocked her; from the moment all their memories had been erased, their image about home had changed for good and it had absolute no sense to mourn for something they basically never had. "But we do have a place for you," he went on and she blocked out her thoughts for now to listen to him. "A refuge, outside the Scorch, where WICKED will never find you again. How does that sound?" he briefly turned towards them, this time with an even wider smile.

_Too good to actually be true_, Newt thought, a part of him still unable to believe that he had escaped the Glade and the maze. Apparently Minho had similar thoughts, because he was the one to ask the next question, talking to Janson for the first time since he received them. "Why are you helping us?"

"Let's just say the world out there is in a rather precarious situation. We're all hanging on by a very thin thread. The fact that you kids can survive the Flare virus makes you the best chance of humanity's continued survival. Unfortunately, it also makes you a target, as no doubt by now you've noticed."

Of course they had noticed, they had been in the heart of the events for years, used like lab rats in order for WICKED to find out what made them immune. The cause and the goal weren't the problems here—no one would ever be opposite to the creation of a cure—but the means; the way they had been undergoing experiments and challenges since childhood, some of them manipulated to work for these deranged scientists and most of them being sent to the maze, which was a torture and a challenge that had given them enough nightmares for a lifetime.

Janson took out a card and used it to gain access in an endless corridor, announcing that there lay the beginning of their new lives. "First things first…let's do something about that smell," he mocked them and this sounded far more appealing to the teenagers than vague assurances of safety.

* * *

The soft orange light illuminating the shower room and the hot water that fell on her was exactly what Eve needed. It was as if it didn't only clean her body, but also her entire existence, erasing the memories and the guilt that had been tormenting her for a while; erasing all the horrors she had lived in the Glade and the cost they had to pay for ending up here. Of course, deep down she knew that this was nonsense and that the memories would never be erased; they would always be there, a permanent scar to remind her everything that had transpired until now. With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes, desperate to forget for at least one moment…but not even this was granted to her, for the second her eyes closed, the memories returned in all their ferocity.

_Trapped in the Box, with the unconscious Teresa beside her, unable to escape, only to faint as well…_

_Surrounded by the endless darkness that wanted to swallow her entirely…The emotional pain…The woman's voice in her head, announcing that she would be 'the last one', the last one to enter the Glade as the only girl…Newt's voice calming her down and how she had anchored herself on him, like a life-line she needed…_

_Learning the first things about the Glade and how no one remembered anything from their past…The first doubts and questions, theories discussed first with Teresa and then with Newt….The first relaxed moments, joking around with Newt, Zart and Chuck…And then the first true hope for an exit, the news that Minho and Thomas had found something like a gate that could be leading to the outside world…_

_The fierce fight against the Grievers, those horrid havoc-wreaking creatures that destroyed the Glade and eliminated the majority of the Gladers…Alby sacrificing himself to save them all, pleading Thomas to get the rest of them out of there…_

_Thomas revealing them the truth behind Glade, the Creators and what they were doing there…Their plan to escape...Gally wanting to give her, Teresa and Thomas to the Grievers, believing in his stupidity that this was the solution…_

_Their escape and the second fight against the Grievers, which killed another large number of Gladers…The events in WICKED's laboratory and Ava Paige's revelation about the Flare virus and the role they would play…Gally appearing after being stung, threatening to kill Thomas…Little Chuckie interfering and taking the bullet to save his best friend…_

Eve opened her eyes at this memory, not wanting to go further….Chuck lying lifelessly on the ground was the worst scar of all and she didn't even know if the pain would ever get better. He was only twelve years old, a little boy dreaming of going back home and hug his parents…he was one step before fulfilling his dream of freedom, only to leave them so suddenly. She blinked wildly, sensing the tears that ran down her cheeks together with the water drops; it wouldn't be long and she would start sobbing, something she wanted to prevent no matter what.

_No tears, Eve. No. Shucking. Tears! Get a grip already, you need to be strong for whatever will come._

She focused on the present now, blocking the brief past she could remember…and, truth be told, she could stay in the showers for a lifetime if the water didn't turn cold after a while. She dried herself with the towel hanging right outside and wore the clothes someone had put there for her. They were simple, a pale blue short-sleeved blouse, dark blue pants and black sneakers, yet she felt so grateful for being clean that she forgot about who all these people were for a moment. Of course, everything came back when a scientist dressed in a white lab coat came to take her and Teresa and lead them to a large laboratory, where the rest of the boys already sat in different corners and were being examined.

"Hello," a woman with brown-blond hair and glasses greeted her as she took a seat on an examination chair right next to Minho, who was jogging on a device in order for his endurances and vitals to be tested. "I'm Hannah Donovan and you must be Eve, right?"

"Right." Eve nodded and eyed a needle Dr. Donovan was carrying with cautiousness. "Em…what are you gonna do with that?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'll just take a blood sample to see your general condition and what you have been deprived of out there, so I can know what treatment to give you. And then we will have a look at your injuries," the older woman explained and pointed towards the bruise Gally had given her by slapping her.

"Oh, that's...nothing, actually…I'm more concerned about this one," the brunette sixteen-year-old revealed the scar the Griever's leg had caused on her ankle. The blood had dried and had been washed off, but it was still stinging slightly.

"We will look after everything, be sure of that. For now, lean back and relax," Dr. Donovan smiled at her.

It appeared that the malnutrition and her very small stay in the Glade hadn't harmed her health that much, especially compared to those who had been three years there. Still, Dr. Donovan gave her a vaccine and vitamins to make sure that everything was alright with her and handed her a tube of ointment that would help her with her scar. After that, the doctor's expression changed and turned from comforting and encouraging to serious and sharp.

"And now that we have looked after the most important things on you…is there anything else you wish you share? Something that has been troubling you?"

The question sounded odd to Eve's ears, too sudden and specific…it was almost as if the other one knew or suspected. She felt the urge to conceal her worried, to pretend that everything was alright with her, but then she mentally scolded herself that she was being paranoid; not to mention that it was her chance to learn. "Actually, there _is_," she decided to be honest in the end. "I panic whenever it's dark around me. I get dizzy and it's as if I can't breathe at all, as if the darkness is swallowing me entirely…I lose my focus, I lose my composure."

"I see. And has this been happening every time you are surrounded by darkness?"

"Well…It kinda disappears when there's the sense of danger."

"Adrenalin," Donovan nodded. "It appears, Eve, that you suffer from nyctophobia, a severe fear of the dark triggered by your mind, especially under threat. And considering the hardships you have been through, its causes are psychological and could even go back to the past none of you can remember."

"Oh, great. Just great," Eve mumbled quietly, angered towards herself and towards WICKED…what could have happened in her past that made her like that in darkness? "And is there no way to cure it?"

"Normally I would suggest what scientists call 'exposure therapy', but given your special circumstances, I fear it might only get worse instead of improving," she explained. "Therefore the only reliable solution I can offer you is to find an anchor, something to keep you grounding whenever you have these crises, something to focus on."

_Yeah, I got this message already_, Eve thought and shook her head in frustration, suddenly feeling extremely weak and vulnerable. To distract herself, she avoided Dr. Donovan and looked around to see how the others were doing: Minho was still jogging, Winston and the two anonymous Gladers were being examined, Frypan and Clint were talking to their assigned doctors, Thomas was sitting quietly as a scientist took a blood sample, Teresa was still on her own and Newt was staring suspiciously at a man who was holding a large needle.

"Uh, w-wait, what is that?" the blond wanted to know, as if the needle didn't have some sort of cure, but poison.

"Just a little cocktail. Calcium, folate, vitamins A through Z. Pretty much everything you've been deprived of out there. Try to relax," the man told him smiling calmly.

_Yeah, man, sure, whatever, simply 'relax' while you stick a giant needle in my arm_, Newt gathered all his self-control to not say it out loud. He looked away and his eyes met Eve's, who had been talking to her doctor until now—Newt had even heard faintly the word 'darkness' and he had wondered if Eve would finally find out what was going on. He could say that she looked troubled, even frustrated, and he shot her a smile, which she returned immediately—and that was enough for him to truly relax, the assurance that they and their friends were in this together. She even looked differently right now, surely changed from the meal and the shower just like all of them; she didn't look like the weary and troubled teenager who had arrived in the Glade. Newt couldn't deny how much more beautiful and healthier she looked, with her dark brown curls, now clean, falling freely on her shoulders, and framing her face, which had some color now.

"Evening, Dr. Crawford!" the doctor examining Thomas and greeting a dark-skinned woman with black hair who had just come in returned them to reality: Newt winced slightly at the stinging of the needle and Eve turned back to talk to her own doctor.

"Good evening. How are the new arrivals holding up?" Dr. Crawford wanted to know as she approached the examination chair Teresa was seated on; Thomas followed her with his eyes, slightly alarmed by her too professional voice and her sharp gaze.

"So far, so good."

"Alright. And you must be Teresa," the woman greeted the black-haired girl, who nodded quietly, still looking quite tired. Crawford started closing the curtains around them, but Thomas couldn't react to that—because it _was_ curious, considering that this hadn't happened with Eve, Clint and another Glade who were seated on similar chairs—for at that moment he was approached.

"Thomas?"

"Yeah?" he confirmed cautiously, wondering what all this was about.

"Come with me, please," said the bald man who had just come and, despite his kind tone, Thomas sensed that he didn't exactly have a choice here and that he should do as he was told—for now. As he left, he turned to throw a last look towards Teresa, who returned the gaze sullenly before Dr. Crawford closed the last curtain, blocking her from him and, it seemed, from the rest of the world.

"Now come on, it's time you go and have some proper dinner," one of the doctors announced when all tests were complete and Minho had gotten off the device that had tested his endurances. They all jumped on their feet, rubbing their arms, stretching themselves and getting ready to get out of the lab, when they noticed that Teresa hadn't joined them yet.

"Wait a minute, what about our friends?" Eve wanted to know, feeling a familiar tension; after everything they had been through, it felt as if they were leaving Thomas and Teresa behind, something that caused her uneasiness.

"Don't worry, it won't take long, you go ahead," the man answered with a voice that didn't leave much room for objections.

During their walk towards whatever their destination was, Newt wanted to ask Eve what she had found out about her fear of the dark. He guessed, though, that she wouldn't want to talk about it, not now, with everything being still fresh and with the others present. And the strange chatter that he could hear from the room where they were headed preventing from saying anything, especially when the door opened and they were met with a sight that caught them totally off guard. Tables were sat all around the room, filled with boys and girls their age sitting in groups, talking and laughing while eating—and there weren't many scenarios to interpret the situation.

"You've got to be shucking kidding us," Newt hissed.

"Okay, seriously, what the hell—?!" Winston couldn't even finish his question from the shock.

"It wasn't just—" came the next comment from Eve. "Guys…It wasn't just us!"

* * *

**A/N: Alright, everyone, that was it for now, an extra long chapter just for you ;) I really hope you liked it and I promise I will update quicker from now on :)  
**


End file.
